Halo
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A/N-thank you very much to everyone who kindly reviewed the last chapter.
Chapter Forty-Four-Proposition
Leia tried to soften her voice as she motioned for the young scavenger to sit down. "This isn't an ambush, Rey."
"It certainly feels like one." Rey answered sceptically. She studied the older woman warily, remembering their last encounter on D'Qar.
"Caf'?" Leia offered as she sat down gracefully and reached for the pot of Caf.'
"No." Rey refused curtly.
"You don't like it?" Leia asked as she attempted to make small talk with the wary young woman sitting opposite her.
"No."
"I agree it is an acquired taste." Leia said conversationally as she poured some of the warm coffee into an available cup. "Can I offer you a cup of Gatalentan tea instead?"
"No."
Leia ignored Rey's brusque tone and sat back in her chair, holding the cup daintily in one hand as she took a sip of the warm liquid. While she was doing so, she took the opportunity to study Rey's body language. The young scavenger was tense and clearly uncomfortable in her presence. The girl had been practically monosyllabic so far. Leia knew she was going to be a tough nut to crack. "I'm guessing you have a very low opinion of me right now." She began carefully.
Rey just shrugged and stayed mute. She wasn't going to make this easy for Ben's mother. Leia might be held in high regard by many, but as far as Rey was concerned, she had behaved appallingly toward Ben and Han. She came across as cold and unforgiving. Her many burdens were no excuse for the way she treated her family. It was going to take a lot of persuasion on the older woman's part to make Rey change her initial impression of her.
"I'm not asking you to like me, Rey." Leia continued bluntly. "However, I hope we can at least come to an understanding."
"I would rather you get straight to the point, General Organa." Rey finally broke her silence. "I only came here to spend time with my friend, not to indulge in some passive aggressive confrontation."
After years of political game playing, Leia had mastered her fake smile, right down to the wrinkles around her eyes. "I can see why Han is so fond of you. You speak your mind. I like that."
"I call it as I see it." Rey replied bluntly.
"And what do you see?" Leia asked imperiously.
Rey saw in Leia's eyes, the windows to her soul, the fear and deep regret that was hidden behind the fake smile and confident façade she showed to the rest of the galaxy. Instead of giving the damming assessment that Leia was expecting, Rey asked a question of her own instead. "I've never been interested in diplomacy. I am no politician. Why don't you just tell me what you want from me?"
"You would have made a terrible politician." Leia conceded. She abandoned the rest of her favourite drink by putting the cup of Caf' to one side and focusing her laser like stare onto Rey. The next words out of her mouth were the last thing the young scavenger was expecting. "Okay, I'll put my cards on the table." Leia paused as if for dramatic effect. "Rey, I want to train you in the ways of the Jedi."
The Resistance General's offer had stunned Rey into silence. She stared at Leia incredulously, convinced that she had misheard. Leia used Rey's silence as an opportunity to expand on her offer. "During our last encounter with the First Order our numbers were severely decimated. We are now down to only four hundred personnel on just four ships." She revealed. "A lot of the Resistance are losing hope. With Luke gone- "Leia's voice faltered for the first time and she averted her gaze as she fought to compose herself. After a few deep breaths she turned her attention back to Rey. "When he died, he took the last beacon of hope with him." She reached for Rey's hands and looked at her imploringly. "I think you can relight that beacon of hope again, Rey. I really do. I trained under Luke for a time. I can train you. With a new, young, powerful jedi among the ranks it will aid in our recruitment efforts once word spreads that you are fighting with us."
It was as if the impact of Leia's words had knocked every wisp of air from Rey's lungs, and she sat there struggling to inhale, to exhale, to do anything. She remained unable to speak, totally stunned as the words kept bouncing around inside her skull. This was Luke all over again. She was just glad that Ben wasn't around to overhear this time. Rey quickly locked her mind down in order to stop Ben sensing her distress and the reason behind it. The knowledge would devastate him.
"I know this was the last thing you were expecting, Rey." Leia coaxed her gently. "But, together, just think what we could achieve."
"I can't believe you are asking this of me." Rey exclaimed as she finally regained use of her vocal cords. "Ben is my teacher."
Leia's only response was a slight tightening around the eyes. "I am aware of the impact this will have on my son. I don't make my offer lightly. I hope in time he will come to regard this as the best decision for both of you." A sharp pain in her temple caught Leia off guard as grief overwhelmed her. She was exhausted. What she wouldn't give for just a moment of relaxation, of safety; a few days or even a handful of hours of knowing everything would be all right. The fate of the entire galaxy was resting in her hands and she couldn't afford to lose her focus with worry about Ben's reaction. Even though she hadn't trusted Han to handle their son in the past, she had no choice but to trust that he would be able to do so now.
"General Organa?" Rey frowned when she noticed Leia grimace as if in pain. "Are you well?"
"I'm fine." Leia murmured, giving Rey another fake smile of reassurance. "It's just life. This endless war. That's why I…we…. need your help."
"Why did you stop training with Luke?" Rey's abrupt question completely blindsided the older woman.
Leia took a moment to consider her answer. "Another life called to me."
Rey looked back at Leia thoughtfully. "How did you know?"
"A feeling. Visions. Of serving the galaxy in different ways."
"But how did you know those visions were true? In my opinion you and your brother relied on these feelings and so-called visions far too much. They only served to lead you in the wrong direction and to make terrible decisions, impacting on the ones closest to you-Ben most of all." Rey snapped as colour rose in her cheeks.
Rey's accusation caused Leia's face to fall. In that instant her skin became greyed, her mouth hung with lips slightly parted and her eyes were as wide as they could stretch. "I knew." She replied tersely. "And for the record I treasured each moment I spent with my brother." Leia added. "The things he taught me . . . I use them every day. Once you touch the Force, it's part of you always. Over the years, I continued to learn, to grow. There were times on the Senate floor when the meditations I'd practiced with Luke were the only thing that kept me from causing a galactic incident."
"It seems your time on the Senate floor also taught you to avoid answering direct questions and owning your mistakes. Luke failed Ben. You failed Ben. Why would I want either of you to teach me anything?"
"You speak of things you know nothing about, young lady." Leia was losing patience. "You have no idea of what Ben was like growing up or the sacrifices I made to protect him from the growing darkness inside him. Why do you think I immersed myself in my political career? It was all for him. To try and build a better, safer galaxy for him to live in. And, yes, I know it came at a cost to my family life, but I thought it would all pay off in the end. I sent Ben away to train under Luke because I truly believed he was the best person to harness his potential and to temper the darkness growing inside him. My biggest regret is sending him away. Despite what you may believe, I love my son." Leia cried passionately.
Rey pushed her chair back and rose unsteadily to her feet. "You claim to love Ben, but still you put the needs of the Resistance above his emotional wellbeing and push him away. I don't understand you. I can't believe you even contemplated asking this of me. It would be the ultimate betrayal in his eyes. I said no to Luke when he asked me and I'm saying the same to you, General Organa. You need to find someone else to be your poster girl."
A/N-thanks for reading! Please review.