Enjoy this chapter folks. It took me a while to work on it while being sick. Also, I'd like to give a big thank you to Darksidefan5 for their amazing Beta skills. If it wasn't for you, this chapter would suck.
Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by Disney and George Lucas, not me. I just play in their sandbox and create chaos.
The corridor of the cell block is quiet and dim lights flicker, threatening to plunge the hall into complete darkness as Rey pads down the hall. Her feet guide her further and further. It's empty and cold. She can feel eyes all around her, but there are no guards, no cameras to be seen.
But she has a direction – Poe's cell.
And there it is, at the end of the hall, the lights providing the faintest illumination. She reaches out a hand and the door opens easily for her. Stepping through the now open door, Rey makes her way over to where Poe is dozing on his make-shift sleeping pallet.
"Rey?" Poe stiffly sits up from having been lying on his side. "Rey, what are you doing here?"
Rey kneels down and places a hand against Poe's cheek. "I couldn't leave you."
"But you must, Rey." Poe rests a hand over top of her's and turns to place a kiss against the palm.
"No." Rey shuffles closer till their foreheads touch. "You can't die. I won't allow it."
"You can't control who lives and who dies, love." Poe whispers to her, allowing his other hand to comb through Rey's hair.
"Watch me." Rey closes the distance between them. The kiss is full of passion and promise between them. Neither one is too sure on who deepens it, but they don't care. Rey finds herself lying on her back with Poe hovering above her and shows no fear as they begin to peel away each other's clothes. The worries she has for Poe's life melts away as they move as one, and Rey finds herself wanting more with Poe. More time, more everything. She allows herself to envision a future for them, one where the First Order is no longer around.
"I wish we had more time." Poe whispers to her while trying to catch his breath between movements. He gently presses a kiss to her sweat covered forehead before their combined euphoria hits them.
The world around Rey melts away, as does Poe. Then she finds herself standing before Isolder and a Holy Woman of his people. She feels her mouth moving, echoing words that are not her own. But Rey is outside of herself, invisible and silent and unable to stop what is happening. But it is the knowledge that this will save Poe's life is what gives her the strength to do what must be done.
Just as the Holy Woman ties the navy-blue sash around their joined hands, the world dissolves away around Rey till she finds herself in the throne room. She watches and listens as Isolder announces her as his new wife before the whole Hapian Court. She isn't surprised to hear the outcry against the match between them. She turns her head to look at a smiling Ta'a Chume, who is watching everything from her throne.
"I have a gift for you, my son. For your nuptials." Ta'a Chume states before lifting her long scepter and striking the bottom of it upon the white marble floors.
Rey hears the sound of doors opening to her right, and turns to look. In that moment, her prison of silence, of inaction is broken.
"Nooo!"
Being dragged into the throne room, between two guards, is the headless body of Poe Dameron. Blood still slowly flowing freely from the base of the neck. The guards drop the body to the floor before the dais and takes a step back.
"Nooo!" Rey howls, tears starting to flow down her cheeks.
Rey bolts down the steps, but is caught by a strong pair of arms before she can make it more than a few steps. As she begins to try and break free from Isolder's arms, one of the queen's guards comes towards the body while carrying a coned object in his hands. Rey doubles her efforts are trying to get free as the object in the guards' hand suddenly produces a flame.
"No. No! Please! Please, no!" Rey hollers out through her tears, and lets out a bloodcurdling scream as the body is set on fire.
The sight of Poe's decapitated body on fire causes something to snap in Rey. With all her might, Rey is able to break free from Isolder's hold and she charges towards Ta'a Chume. She's able to get close enough to take hold of the scepter in one hand while using her other hand to grab the queen's neck. Her hold doesn't last long as the world eventually goes black.
~~~SW~~~
Rey wakes in a cold sweat with tears streaming down her face. Closing her eyes, Rey pulls the white colored shirt she has in her hands towards her chest. She takes in a deep breath, and tries hard not to let fresh tears to build at the familiar odor of balsam fir, spice, and natural musk from its owner. It is one of only two thing that Rey has left of Poe's, courtesy of Tenel Ka managing to retrieve it before Ta'a Chume had Poe's guest room cleaned out and everything of his burned. Rey's other hand slowly reaches for the chain around her neck, which holds Poe's ring. Closing her hand over the ring, Rey clamps down a painful moan as images of Poe's burning body floods into her mind.
The door to the room hisses open and Rey is forced to open her eyes. She knows who it is that entered the room. Even with her back facing them.
"Lady wife." Isolder says softly as he approaches the lounge chair that resides on the opposite side of the bedroom. "It pains me to see you mourn so."
"You promised." Rey mumbles, releasing her hold on Poe's ring before forcing herself to sit up. Then she turns to face Isolder. "You promised!"
Isolder holds up his hands in surrender as he slowly approaches. "I did, but how was I to know what my mother had done? I couldn't have known that she would have him beheaded."
"You could have released him before the marriage took place." Rey growls out, standing up while still clutching Poe's shirt to her chest.
"That wouldn't have changed anything, wife." Isolder calmly states, letting his eyes roam over Rey's sleeping tunic and pant set. Then his eyes settle on the shirt that she is clutching to her chest. Then he lets out a deep sigh. "Even seven days after his death, you still have not moved on. You've mourned him long enough. It is time to let him go."
Isolder reaches out a hand to try and take the shirt from Rey, but she slips out of his reach. This irritates Isolder to no end and slowly he stalks towards her.
"You won't take this away from me." Rey snarls out, making sure she keeps herself out of Isolder's reach. "Everything of his was destroyed and this is all that is left of him. There isn't even a body for his family to bury!"
"Must I call on the guards? You've already felt the effects of our tranquilizer darts three times now. Are you in such a hurry to feel it again for a fourth time?"
"The deal was for the marriage to take place so that Poe would be set free! You've broken that promise, so that breaks our deal! You can't keep me here forever!" Rey shouts as she keeps herself ahead of Isolder as he continues to stalk her around the bedroom.
"We're married, lady wife. That means we have obligations to our people!" Isolder yells back, becoming more frustrated by Rey's refusal of him and their marriage. "The courts have already begun to suspect that the marriage is not consummated!"
"And it never will be! No matter how hard to you try to force me into it!" Rey shouts in return with a smug look on her face. She eyes the fading mottling of color across Isolder's face from the broken nose, busted lip, black eye, fractured jaw bone she gave him four nights ago, when he tried to initiate carnal relations with her. She'd fought back after telling him no.
"You do realize that every time you've been rendered unconscious by the tranquilizer, that Ta'a Chume has had our physicians checking you over for any sign of sexual relations between us. Each time nothing shows up is another chance for my mother and her courts to have our marriage annulled. There needs to be proof that there will eventually be an heir born between us."
"There will be no heir, and there will be no consummating of this marriage."
"As long as you are married to me you are safe! Without the marriage, you have no protection against my mother." Isolder lets out a frustrated sigh before letting his body language shift to a non-threatening stance. "He would want you safe. Wouldn't he?"
"Don't you dare." She holds her husband's gaze, silently challenging him to say anything further.
Isolder, knowing that there is nothing more to do today on trying to change Rey's mind, walks towards the door of their bedroom. Yet before he leaves, he turns around to address her once last time.
"You shall remain under house arrest until you are no longer deemed a flight risk."
Isolder is quick to leave the room before Rey can charge after him. The door closes with yet another hiss before a loud metallic thud is heard, signaling heavy blast door closing on the other side.
Rey, however, lets out a frustrated shout before marching her way over to the lounge chair she was sleeping on earlier. In her mind, Rey runs through all the measures Isolder has on the room. His bio-metrics are needed to open the door. The strategically placed Ysalamir lizards to keep her from using the Force. Even the shields that cover the windows, which only let the sunlight and wind through. She doesn't know when another opportunity will arise for her to try and escape. So, she decides to meditate, and afterwards plans on practicing her fighting skills. With some of these skills she learned from Tenel Ka.
Rey manages to clear her mind to point of not even realizing that several hours have passed since she had begun meditating. With as late in the day as it is, Isolder will most likely be arriving within the next hour to request her presence at dinner this evening. However, Rey will not attend, just like she hasn't since their marriage was announced before the court. Changing out of her sleep clothes, Rey decides to wear Poe's shirt with a pair of black pants that she found hidden beneath her pillow several mornings ago.
Pulling her shirt over her head, a concussive boom nearly causes her to topple over as the palace shakes. Running to the window, her eyes begin scouring the city-scape for the source of the sound. Out of the clouds come several TIE fighters and bombers, which begin to lay siege upon the city. Rey's eyes widen as she watches several buildings being hit and starting to crumble. Screams can be heard coming from the city, and several of the defense turrets begin firing at the TIE fighters and bombers.
Suddenly the doors to her temporary jail are blasted open and smoke fills half of the large room. Rey, who had ducked down near the window, is coughing from inhaling the smoke. With her eyes filling with tears, Rey can barely make out a dark figure stalking through the dense smoke.
"Let's go. This is a jail break, sweetheart!" Dash Rendar's voice calls out.
Not missing an opportunity, Rey is quick to run out the door of the bedroom and towards where the old smuggler is waiting for her. For a moment, Rey gives him a look over and can't believe how many weapons the older man has on him. Dash Rendar is carrying several types of blasters at his waist, grenades on a weapons sash over both shoulders, a sniper rifle, and a truncheon in hand.
"About time you came out. Here." Dash states as he tosses Rey a DH-17 blaster pistol and his second truncheon. "I'm sure you know how to use these. Sorry I don't have a lightsaber or a quarterstaff for you, but my stash of weapons is pretty limited. We may run into First Order during our escape, so stay close. Once we get out of the palace, we'll have to work our way through the city before reaching the landing platforms."
The pair hurry out of Isolder's chambers and through the halls of the royal palace. Dash fires off several shots from his stun blaster for the easy targets, which consists of the Hapian royal servants. For the guards they run in to, Dash uses his normal blaster while Rey makes use of the truncheon. They make it down to second floor of the palace before Rey notices that Dash hasn't a clue as to where to go next.
"Do have any idea how to leave this place?" Rey asks, knocking out yet another guard that they've run into near the stairs.
"I'm making this up as I go, sweetheart." Dash replies back, firing off several more blaster bolts at an approaching guard. "What about you using the Force?"
She hesitates before answering. "I can't."
"Lizards doing their blocking thing still?" Looking over the railing for the large stairwell, Dash can see more guards coming up.
"Yes!"
"Damn!" Dash looks over at Rey as she knocks yet another guard out cold. "There's got to be another way out of this shit-nest."
"There was another stairwell down that hallway," Rey points down the hallway nearest to them. "that we could use."
"Then let's go."
They run down the hallway and at the end of it is a set of stairs which is used mostly by the servants. However, it is oddly quiet and not a single servant is seen on the stairwell. Neither Dash or Rey comment on the lack of servants, and they are able to make it to the ground level of the palace. They only get several feet into the adjoining hallway when they hear the sounds of heavy battle echoing down from the main doors.
"Looks like we'll have to find another way out." Dash quickly pulls Rey in the opposite direction, away from the fighting.
They continue on through the palace, sneaking through the back corridors to evade any adversaries. However, just as they reach a crossroads of the corridors, they can hear what sounds like the humming of a lightsaber. Before either one can retreat away, Rey feels the Force surge through her and it nearly causes her to fall to her knees in relief.
"You alright?" Dash whispers harshly at Rey.
"It's back. I can use the Force." Rey says, breathing heavily to relax herself. She places the truncheon into her boot now that she is able to use the Force once again.
"There you two are."
Dash and Rey turn swiftly and see Tenel Ka standing before them. She's wearing a green, scale looking outfit with black boots and a modified Rancor tooth in her hand. At her waist sits a silver belt with several blades and the silver hilt of a lightsaber.
"I wasn't sure if you'd be needing my assistance on escaping." Tenel Ka states as she approaches Rey. She removes the hilt from her waist and hands it to Rey. "You'll be needing this."
"Whose lightsab-" Rey's question is immediately answered by a flurry of images as she takes hold of the lightsaber. A boy with other children, a Wookie, Luke Skywalker and a group of young adults with sabers, and finally… an image of Tenel Ka smiling more warmly then Rey ever thought possible.
"It belonged to my friend, and the one who held my heart. Jacen Solo."
Rey tries to hand it back to the princess, realizing the significance of this saber to the other woman. However, Tenel Ka refuses to take the lightsaber back.
"Take it, Rey. Kylo Ren deserves to die by this blade." Tenel Ka pauses as the ground shakes, only to speak again after the shaking stops. "I have a feeling it won't be by my hand. Now come, I will take you through the hidden tunnels to escape.""
Tenel Ka then leads them towards yet another hidden away entrance to the tunnel works inside of the royal palace. The three of them go deeper into the hidden tunnels. Every so often they can hear the fighting within the palace between the Hapian Guards and the First Order troops. It isn't until Tenel Ka feels a tremor within the Force does she have them begin to run faster. After several long minutes, they finally reach a hidden exterior exit from the palace.
"You need to leave the palace. Now." Tenel Ka tells the pair as she presses her hand to the secret switch that opens the hidden exterior door. "Rey, you should know that the marriage between you and my father has been annulled and any record of it taking place was destroyed. I personally saw to it myself."
"How?" Rey asks as the two women watch Dash quickly make his way out into the alleyway to set up cover if Rey needs it.
"I had help from a mutual friend of ours. Now go." Tenel Ka states just before shoving Rey out and closing the door shut.
"Come on, sweetheart." Dash hollers out as he waves at Rey to run to where he is.
Not missing a beat, Rey runs over to him and the pair begin making their way through the rest of the city. They do everything that they can to stay in the shadows, and only fight when necessary which isn't much. Halfway through the city, a First Order shuttle flies past them and Rey comes to a complete stop as she senses a familiar presence aboard it.
"We've got to keep going." Dash yells out from several yards ahead of Rey. Not wanting to have such a large space between them, he heads back to Rey's side and sees that her face has gone pale. "What's wrong?"
"Kylo Ren is here." Rey's hold on the lightsaber hilt tightens, her knuckles turning white.
Dash lets out several expletives in multiple languages before taking hold of Rey's other hand. "Time to pick up the pace. I was told, under no uncertain terms, that I am not allowed to let that psychopath get his hands on you." Dash practically drags Rey behind him as he pushes himself into a full-blown run, which is a feat in itself due to his age.
They reach the outer parts of the city quickly and begin to run along the main road that leads to the various landing platforms. The pair discover that many of the landing platforms have sustained heavy damage from the First Order bombers. They keep running, sometimes dodging falling debris from the attack above, as they head off towards Platform 9 where the Outrider is stationed.
As they get past Platform 6, the screeching of TIE fighters can be heard and is followed by several large explosions as the fighters fire upon them. Splitting up, Rey and Dash try to find cover from any more attacks by the TIE fighters. Dash is hiding near an overturned hover-sled, while Rey has taken cover near a smoldering fighter that was parked on Platform 6. The low droning of approaching TIE bombers causes Dash to look up at the sky. He spots a pair of bombers approaching from the East and an uneasy feeling begins to build up in his gut. Looking over at Rey, Dash realizes that the bombers will reach her end of the landing platform before they reach him.
"Rey!" Dash shouts across to her while gesturing towards the approaching bombers. "Get the hell out of here. Bombers!"
Rey's eyes follow where Dash is pointing up at the sky. Deciding not to wait, Rey begins to run across the platform towards Dash. As she reaches the halfway point, the loud thundering of an engine is heard followed by the sound of cannon fire. Looking over her right shoulder, Rey sees the Falcon come out of the clouds and take on the bombers. She reaches Dash just as the last TIE bomber explodes. The pair watch as the Falcon banks hard to turn heading right for them.
As the ship begins to slow down and begin to come in low to the ground, Dash and Rey watch as the ramp starts to come down. Then, across the way, Dash notices three figures in black walking towards the platform.
"Shit." Dash turns to look at Rey. "Get to the Falcon, Rey."
"Not without you." Rey argues, watching as Dash reloads the energy packs on most of his blasters.
"You'll do as I say." Dash says before pointing a blaster at Rey's head. "Now get to the Falcon before the psychopaths' lap dogs take you hostage. Don't argue with me. Just do it before I put a blaster bolt through your brains."
Rey begins to back away from Dash and then she too can see the three cloaked figures walking towards the platform. She reaches out and can feel each one within the Force; their signatures like a fiery windstorm.
"Go! I'll meet you all at the rendezvous point." Dash takes off, running away from Rey while firing off two blasters at the approaching figures.
Rey doesn't waste a moment and begins running towards the Falcon. As she gets closer to the ramp, she notices Finn carefully, yet quickly, making his way to the end of it with a large blaster rifle in hand. Another she notices is that Finn seems to have a tether attached to his belt.
"Rey!" Finn shouts before shoulder the rifle and firing off several shots towards Rey.
The shots streak past Rey, heading towards the two dark cloaked figures who are now running after Rey. Using the Force, Rey pushes herself into running faster. When she gets close enough, she tucks the lightsaber into the waist of her pants and uses the Force to aid her in jumping up towards the ramp. With both hands, Rey is able to take hold of one of the hydraulic poles that raise and lower the ramp.
"I've got you, Rey!" Finn calls out as he takes hold of Rey's wrist and helps her climb up onto the ramp. Then he turns his head to the inside of the ship. "Get us out of here!"
Finn wraps an arm around Rey's waist as they quickly make their way up the now closing ramp. Once inside, they are greeted by a waiting Leia, who is at the controls for the ramp. Finn quickly detaches himself from the tether as the ship violently shakes from taking enemy fire. He hurries off towards the gun turrets, leaving Rey and Leia alone.
Rey is unsure of what to do next and suddenly finds herself being pulled into a hug by Leia. It's in the warmth of Leia's embrace that Rey speaks softly, the only words she can even think to say at the moment.
"Poe's dead."
Leia's hold on Rey tightens and Rey finds that her cheeks suddenly are wet with tears.
"I'm sorry. I tried..." she whimpers out before pressing her face into Leia's shoulder. A howl from Chewie breaks the moment as he calls Rey to the cockpit for assistance.
"You'd better go help Chewie." Leia tells Rey, giving the young woman a sad smile.
Rey can only nod her head in agreement before turning to head towards the cockpit, wiping her tears away with the back of her hands.
~~~SW~~~
In the throne room of the Queen Mother, Kylo Ren stands before a massacre. The air is pungent with the scent of burnt flesh and blood. Many of the courtiers' faces still show their terror, even in death. On his left rests Ta Chume's body; on his right, her head.
"You stole something of mine." Kylo states as he comes up alongside of a battered Isolder, who's trying to crawl away. "She's mine!"
"I didn't know." Isolder grunts out as Kylo uses the Force to turn the older man onto his back. "I swear I didn't touch her."
Kylo Ren pierces Isolder's chest with his lightsaber. "And you never will."
"My Lord." One of his Knights of Ren proclaims, coming to kneel before his master.
Turning away, Kylo Ren turns fully to face the kneeling knight. "Yes."
"My lord, the girl has escaped aboard Solo's ship." The knight says calmly, showing no fear in giving the news to his leader. "The smuggler escaped as well on his own ship after killing Knight Svelte."
Kylo Ren holds in his frustration towards the news of Rey's escape; however, his face shows his dissatisfaction with hearing about one of his knights being killed. She was one of the better fighters among his followers. Without a word, Kylo Ren marches past the kneeling knight and walks towards the main exit of the throne room, where four more Knights of Ren are waiting for him.
The main doors suddenly burst open on their own and reveal a disheveled Tenel Ka standing there with her turquoise lightsaber in hand.
"Where do you think you are going, Traitor?" Tenel Ka snarls out, loud enough for her words to echo out into the throne room.
The four Knights of Ren turn quickly to face the newcomer and pull out their own weapons. However, they back down at Kylo's silent command. He makes his way towards the Hapian Princess till he is several paces away. Then he addresses her.
"You're still alive." Kylo Ren states, igniting his crimson blade.
"I'll be alive a lot longer than you will." Tenel Ka moves into a defensive stance, memories of past dog fights between Ben Solo and his siblings coming to mind.
"Maybe not."
Kylo Ren begins a slow circle around the princess, but isn't surprised when she matches his movements, not allowing him the upper hand. His sudden strike is wide and precise. Causing Tenel Ka to move out of reach, and then she counters the attack with deadly skill. This catches Kylo Ren off guard and he quickly backs away from Tenel Ka while trying to refocus on the fight.
"You betrayed him." Tenel Ka calls out, still keeping herself focused not just on Kylo Ren but also the Knights as well.
"Who? Skywalker?"
"Jacen," she bit out. "Or have you forgotten him? Or Anakin? Jaina?"
Kylo howls, "Do not speak of them to me! They betrayed me!"
He charges at Tenel Ka, who narrowly manages to avoid his sudden onslaught of attacks.
"They didn't betray you, Ben. They loved you!"
"Love is for the weak! It made them weak. Jacen even more so. He could have joined me, but he wouldn't give up his love for you."
"So, you ended his life because he could feel love and you couldn't. Love doesn't make someone weak. It's the most powerful strength there is."
"Is that so?" Kylo says, his anger seemed to disappear. His next words were soft and matter of fact. "Did you know he cried out for you as he laid dying at my feet? Your name was the last thing he said before I ended him."
Tenel Ka's grip on her saber tightens as she fights the urge to give in to his provocation.
Kylo has no such reservations and unleashes his next wave of attacks. Anger does not balance her. Hatred does not give her focus. But for Kylo… his passion is his strength and his anger is his guide. Using these, he drives her into a corner, further employing his height and speed to force her into wider, sloppier movements. But he doesn't want to let this pathetic fight linger. Seeing an opening, he finishes it.
Tenel Ka falls to her knees, clutching a smoldering stump of what used to be her right arm. But she doesn't give him the satisfaction of a scream.
"I wonder if your love for my brother survives even your death." He brings his lightsaber to her neck.
Before he can kill her, one of his Knights of Ren approaches them.
"My Lord, there are several ships approaching the planet. They are demanding that we leave the system."
"Demanding?"
Tenel Ka barks out a laugh. "The Consortium will not bow before the First Order. Once word reaches them that you've killed all of the royal family, my people will join with Resistance and hunt you down to the ends of the galaxy."
Kylo Ren lowers his blade, shutting it off. Then he turns to look at the Knight. "Have word sent to the Consortium that the last remaining member of the royal family, their new Queen Mother Tenel Ka, will be a guest of ours aboard my ship. Have every ship not working on securing the Consortium focus on finding the Millennium Falcon and the Outrider."
"Yes, my lord." The Knight replies back before relaying the command to their own ships in orbit around the planet.
"She will never be yours." Tenel Ka states as two other Knights of Ren pull her up to stand. "Her heart belongs to another."
Kylo Ren moves to stand face-to-face with Tenel Ka. "If you mean the Resistance Pilot, I believe your grandmother took care of that distraction for me."
"If that's what you want to believe." Tenel Ka says, leaning forwards to look directly into her enemy's eyes. "But Rey and the Force have already chosen, and it isn't you."
"Get her out of here!" Kylo Ren yells out before abruptly turning away.
With anger and frustration rolling off of him in waves, Kylo Ren heads towards the door that sits just behind and off to the side of where the throne sits. Two of his Knights follow him as he heads deeper into the palace, heading for the head security room which houses all of the planets records. Including footage of all executions performed on Hapes.
Reviews are welcomed, loved, and cherished.
Selene