Chapter Two~ The Deal

A/N: On the subject of her being slightly larger than most women, has anyone else noticed that the majority of humanoid females in the movies are flat as a board and skinny as hell. I feel like that's unrealistic that everyone would look like that unless it was a societal norm.

Ok, rant over. On with the story!

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The invitation had come the next afternoon. Norra had been walking around the ship when one of the officers stopped her in the hall.

"My lady, Lord Ren requests your company." He said matter-of-factly.

"Oh," she was surprised. She didn't think he would want to see her until the last possible second. "Alright. Um, where?"

"There is an observation deck a few floors up. He asked that you follow me there."

"Asked? Or ordered?"

The man shifted uncomfortably. "Please, my lady, if you'll follow me."

She sighed, but nodded for him to lead the way. He took off at a quick pace, which made her have to call for him to slow down. Seeing as she and her two ladies were both wearing gowns and heeled shoes, they couldn't keep up. The man had to slow his gate substantially, and she could see that it was agitating him. She smirked. As they entered the lift, she asked, "Why does he want to see me, anyway?"

"I'm sorry, my lady. I am not privy to that information. The Lord's intentions are his own." The door opened up. "Please, if we could hurry along."

"Why are you all so scared of him? He hasn't done anything to seem harmful to me."

"I should hope not, my lady. If you really are supposed to be marrying the man, I pray, for your sake-" He stopped talking as the door to the observation deck came into view. He gestured for her to enter.

She did so, slowly, eyes wide at the sight outside the window. There were millions of stars visible to the naked eye. Planets that were close enough, she could see the land formations and seas. Her mouth hung open in wonder.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a deep voice sounded from the other side of the room. She spun around to see the man she had been promised to standing with his hands clasped behind his back. He seemed more relaxed today as he examined her.

"Yes, it is," she replied, looking back out the window.

"Leave us," he told the officer and her attendants.

"But, my lord!"

"That is highly inappropriate." Her head lady stepped up. "For a young lady to be left alone with a man who is not her husband is-"

He stopped her with a nasty look. "For all intents and purposes, we are engaged. You have my word no harm will come to your lady. We have some matters to discuss."

"We do?" she asked meekly.

He looked over to see her looking at him from under her lashes. The sight nearly took his breath. However, he managed to calm himself. "Yes, we do. Matters of the engagement. Hammer out the finer details, if you like. Like I said," he turned back to the women, "You can go."

The ladies glanced at Norra. With a deep breath, she nodded. "I'll be alright." That was the only reassurance she could give them. But, finally, they left, though still not thoroughly convinced. Once they were gone, he touched the panel to close the door. "It is very unusual for a young woman to be alone with her suitor."

"Except I'm not a suitor. I had no interest in this until yesterday. Hell, I didn't even know about it until the day before that. Which, apparently, your father and Snoke have been talking about this for months." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"That's what I'm told. To be honest with you, I only knew about it the night before we left. I have no idea what the terms are between my father and Supreme Leader Snoke. Whatever it is, it must be a high price. My father wouldn't even sell me off to the richest man on Ophuchi. So, the question stands...why you?"

He began to step towards her, "The same thing I've been asking myself. I'm sure there are any number of families ready to give their daughters up for a chance at immunity."

She looked up at him as he stood before her. She hadn't realized how much taller he was than her, but she had to crane her neck to look at his face. "Is that what this is about? Immunity?"

"That's my understanding. Again, why you?" His dark eyes bore down into hers.

"How should I know?" she breathed.

He tilted his head a bit. "I have the feeling you know more than you let on. In general, not just in this instance."

There it was again. That strange niggling in her head. Something clicked, and her eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"About what?" he stepped back.

"About what happened with General Hux? You told me to ignore him last night, and then explicitly told me to eat. How? Why do you even care?"

By the end of her questioning, he had looked back out the window. "I saw something in your mind." She gasped quietly, hands covering her mouth.

"Then it's true. What they say about Force users being able to read minds."

"Only those strong enough, and usually only on weak minds or ones without guards."

She narrowed her eyes at him, and moved to grab his arm and turn him to face her. "What were you doing in my head?" Her eyes were flaming she was so upset.

Hesitantly, he answered her. "You looked ready to hit someone. I was curious why. Then I saw the source of your anger. That's when I knew."

"Knew what?" she hissed.

"That I was going to help you."

She was taken aback. "And just how are you going to do that?"

"Simple, really. I'm going to marry you, give you the immunity your father craves, and the authority I'm sure he has planned out for you. And then, when the time is right, I'm going to help you destroy Armitage Hux."

"But why?"

He sighed. "Do you ever stop with the incessant questions? I hate the man. I think he's a snake with too much ambition. He questions my authority and the authority of Snoke. He has to be brought down. And I have a feeling that you'd like that just as much as I would, if the feelings rolling off of you last night are any indication." There was a moment, it seemed like he was deciding on whether or not to say something. "Besides, I think we've been relatively well matched."

"And why might that be?"

"Because I felt the anger in you last night, the loathing towards him and..." he trailed off.

"And what?"

Kylo shook his head. "My point is, that you have as much anger as I do. Only yours is bottled up inside, locked away. I saw it in the small burst that came when you threw that glass at Hux. I know the pain you feel, to have others judge you on who your parents are, or what you look like."

She eyed him for a moment. She was looking for something in his eyes. But she didn't find it. "You and I are nothing alike. You hurt people when you get angry, even if it's not their fault. You've killed people for no reason."

He leaned down to be closer to her face. "I have killed people in the name of the First Order. The people I kill are traitors."

"No, the people you kill are innocents. People who just want a better life, a peaceful one. Just because someone doesn't agree with you, it doesn't automatically make them a traitor." She turned and stepped away, looking out the big window that went from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. "You promise that you won't hurt me or my family?"

Kylo shrugged. "As long as you don't stand in my way."

"And you say you're going to help me hurt General Hux?"

"Yes."

Norra thought for a moment, then turned back to him and gave him a small smile. "Then you have yourself a deal." Holding out her hand for him to shake, she waited. He looked at it for a second before taking his right hand from behind his back and reaching for it. When she saw that he was still wearing gloves, she pulled away.

"What?" he asked.

"Your gloves."

"What about them?"

"Take them off."

He eyed her suspiciously. "Why?"

"We Ophuchians have a thing about skin to skin contact. We believe it strengthens the bond between people. As such, we don't touch people who aren't friends, relatives, or business associates. From greetings to making deals, we prefer..." she shrugged, reaching out her hand again. "Please, take them off."

Something in her voice gave him pause. No one asked anything of him. Only gave and received orders. And, yet, here she was, asking him to do something for her. More than that, if what she was saying was true, she would not ask this of anyone else. So, he did as she asked. Taking the fingers of his glove in his opposite hand, he pulled it off, then slowly reached out and took her hand.

He was almost disappointed when nothing happened, besides a slight tingling of pressure. It had been so long since he had touched anyone not in anger, and never with his bare skin. When was the last time he had touched someone's bare skin? Probably not since he had left his home to train with his uncle so many years ago. So, imagine his surprise when she suddenly pulled his hand closer to him and pressed her lips to his knuckles. That's when something happened. It felt like lightening zinging up his arm causing his heart to jump in his chest.

"What was that about?" she could see his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as her lips lingered half a moment.

"That's how we seal deals where I'm from."

Norra could see several things cross his face, none of which she could identify, though she could guess a few of them. Confusion first and foremost probably. Maybe a pinch of offense because someone was touching him, and he didn't seem like the kind of person who liked being touched, though she could be wrong. He could just be not used to being touched. She had begun to pull her hand out of his, but he snapped out of whatever zone he was in and grasped her hand tighter, pulling it towards him quickly. He ducked down to that her arm wasn't lifted over her shoulders, and returned the gesture. Norra's heartbeat spiked, something akin to adrenaline sang through her veins.

It was equally strange to Kylo, who had hardly ever had to deal with any of the formalities his mother had. She had done a good job of keeping him away from that part of her life. Holding a woman's hand was foreign to him, let alone kissing it. Her hand wasn't soft like the noble girls he had played with as a child, or their mothers, who would take him by the hand and lead him back to his mother. They weren't especially rough either, though she did have a few small callouses. It was like she'd led a life of doing small menial tasks or had some practice with weapons. The thought crossed his mind, in that instant, that if she were going to be his wife, he'd need to teach her to protect herself. He couldn't have her being left defenseless if something happened.

He's not bad looking. The thought floated through his head, not his own. He attuned himself to listen closer. Mother might die if she saw me making a deal with him. His hand is warm. I wonder if he doesn't like to be touched...it would make things very awkward for us if he doesn't. Oh, lord, aren't there things I have to do as a wife? Brief flashes of memories of talks she had with a woman he assumed to be her mother. The subject of those talks caused him to flush a little at the realization of what she was thinking about. Clearing his throat, he straightened up, looking around the room, out the window, anywhere but at her. When he did glance at her, her face was a bit red as well, and she wasn't looking at him either.

"I don't..." he started, stopped himself, and tried to put his thoughts together. "I'm not used to this." He tightened his grip on her fingers ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, trying to pull her hand away.

He held on, not letting her retreat. "Don't apologize. Just because one isn't used to something, doesn't mean it's bad."

Norra looked up at him. His dark eyes were soft and he had just the barest hint of a smile. It was a far cry from the man she had met yesterday. He had been hard and closed off. Snippy with everyone. If someone had told her this was the man she had been promised to, maybe she wouldn't have had so many reservations about it.

The door panel beeped, giving them only a second's notice that someone was coming in, and as the door opened, they had each taken a step away from the other. In came her father and General Hux.

"Ah, there you are, my dear. Your ladies seemed a bit upset. You know, it's not exactly proper to be alone with a man."

She bowed her head respectfully. "Yes, Father. My apologies to my ladies. Lord Ren wanted to speak about the terms of agreement of our supposed marriage." Shooting Kylo a hidden wink, she continued, "And to get to know one another, as he said last night at dinner."

"Yes, well, be that as it may, you still-"

"I must apologize, Lord Okenda." He spoke up. "It was only at my insistence that we were left alone. I had some private matters to discuss with Lady Telnorra." It seemed he hadn't forgotten all his manners over the time period of anger and hate.

"Private matters such as what?" General Hux inquired.

Sending the man a shit eating smirk, he said, "Well, if I told you then they wouldn't be private, now would they?"

The look that crossed Hux's face was priceless. He was seemed as though he might pop a vein in his head. Kylo knew he didn't like being out of the loop. "Lord Ren," he said forcefully. "Leader Snoke requires your presence."

Uh-oh, he felt the thought cross his mind. Someone's in trouble with dad. There was a feeling of a held back giggles. He suddenly found himself wondering what her laugh sounded like. He didn't look at her, though. Just stared straight at Hux with a bored loop. "Did he tell you why?"

Hux huffed. "No, he did not, though I could imagine what it might be about." He shot the young woman a dark look, one that she returned. Her father looked between the two of them, probably wondering what was going on. There was a tension there that was easily discernable, though the reason why was lost on him.

Seeing the silent battle of wills that was happening, Kylo stepped up. Putting a gentle, gloved hand on her upper arm, he told Norra, "We'll continue another time. However, it seems I am needed elsewhere. You and you ladies enjoy the rest of your day. Lord Okenda," he inclined his head, then left the room with Hux close on his heels.

Forlo turned on his daughter as soon as they were out of earshot. "What the hell are you thinking, child?!"

"I'm sorry, Father. Nothing indecent happened. We really were just talking."

"Bah!" he waved her off, walking away a few steps with his hands on his hips. "You need to be careful around him, Telnorra. He's a very dangerous man."

"Then why are you selling me off to him?" Her father spun around, wide eyed. "Tell me. What has Snoke promised you? A month ago, you wouldn't even think about giving away to any of the men on Ophuchi, not for all the credits on the whole planet. What changed?"

"Do not question me, child," he put a finger in her face, causing her to turn her head to the side. "The reason you haven't been married off yet, is because no man will have you. You are lucky he's decided to speak with you at all. According to Snoke, the man was completely against any kind of marriage arrangement. With any luck, you'll be married before the end of the month and out of my hair. As for your fascination with the General Hux-"

"I have no fascination for that man. He's a weasel. I have the feeling he'd do anything to see me off this ship."

"Be that as it may," he hissed in her face, "Do not do anything to ruin this opportunity for me, child. Or I swear, I will put you out on the street. It would be a blessing to have you gone. Look at you, twenty-four years old, already fat like your mother, and still not married. Lord knows you'll never be married with that big mouth of yours if Lord Ren decides to negate the proceedings. Now, you are going to take your ladies, go back to your room, and stay there for the rest of the day. I'll have someone bring you food later." When she didn't move, he got in her face. "I said go!" he yelled.

She stared at him for half a moment more, then turned and slowly left the room. Her ladies had been waiting outside the door, listening to everything. None of them said anything as they followed their steps back to her room. Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them back. When they approached her door, she turned to the women. "You may take the rest of the day off."

"But, my lady-"

Norra put a hand up, "I'm not up for company right now. I'd like to be alone." With that, she opened her door and entered without her attendants. Once the door had closed, she sank to the floor, hands over her face as she tried to cry as silently as possible past the lump in her throat.

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Kylo stood on the bridge, waiting for Leader Snoke to make his appearance over the holo. He had replaced his helmet. The old man was taking his sweet time as he paced back and forth, hands clasped behind him. Suddenly, something made him stop in his tracks. A wave of...something. Something negative. It was strong. He could tell it was somewhere on the ship, but that it was far enough away that he couldn't tell what it was. As he was reaching out to try and identify it, Snoke finally appeared.

"Am I catching you at a bad time, Kylo Ren?" he smirked.

"No, sir." His modulated voice came through.

"Very good. So, how do you find the young Okenda girl."

Kylo hesitated, something that was not lost on his master. "She seems acceptable."

"Oh?" Snoke made a face. "Not too plump for your liking, then? I've heard tell of the women in her family being relatively well fed. Never mind, it doesn't matter anyway. The plans are proceeding nicely with her father. With any luck, we will be done with this horrible business soon enough." There it was again, that feeling. It was like a weight on his chest, making his eyes water. He looked around the room, trying to pinpoint the source. "You seem distracted, my young Ren."

"No, my lord. I'm only wondering why you would be so eager to bring someone into the fold such as her."

"I'm told she has a sharp mind, and even sharper tongue. Her father was eager to be rid of her. It seems the Ophuchian elite are not exactly welcoming to opinionated women." He chuckled deeply. "That's beside the point. The young woman comes with a great deal of power over one of the few places in the galaxy we do not have much reach, as their system is so far out. With her at your side, we will have more pull over them, as well as access to their many advanced weapons dealers. As for what they are getting out of the deal, well..." he laughed, "they were all too happy to trade one girl for the chance to be on the winning side. There's also the small matter of he hasn't been able to sell her off yet, and was pleasantly surprised when I offered him a substantial dowry for the girl. Now, we have other matters to discuss. Your old mentor."

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A/N: I was working on this until 3:30 in the morning. Don't let this flop!