The Governor
It is a large ship.
Considering the fact that it is at the disposal of just one man.
Rey has roamed the main corridor and its few branches. She has examined the cockpit twice because she particularly enjoys the bright blue swivels of hyperspace. Has glanced at the common room and kitchenette and is currently studying the hyperdrive engine with wide eyes because holy crap it is a Class X model which from what little Rey knows is only experimental. And they will reach Hosnian Prime in less than one standard day. Roughly estimated.
The Governor has expensive taste.
Along with a streak of extravagance judging from the state of the art ship that he uses for his travels. The mechanic in the engine room has spent half an hour explaining to her the ship's new haul consisting of a metal alloy that allows it to withstand atmospheric pressure while in lightspeed. In other words, this damn ship can jump into hyperspace while it is still planet bound.
Rey had gaped at the information.
Who's the crazy guy that came up with that idea?
"Impressive isn't it?"
She turns to look at Jeff Hudson standing on her side with his eyes fixed on the grand technological achievement before them. He glances at her with a light smile warming his face. His very friendly and rather handsome face.
"I had no idea there was an actual model out. It must cut travel time to… what? One fifth of a standard…"
"…Class 1 model. No. It's actually down to one tenth."
Rey lets out a low whistle. "Unbelievable."
"Not really. It's actually right in front of us," he chuckles amicably.
Rey can't help but smile a little too. Just a small curl of her lips. Jeff is… nice.
"I'm Rey," she says, offering her hand to him. He clasps it carefully but firmly. A good handshake. "I forgot to introduce myself earlier. Too distracted by the Governor's … um… brisk manners."
He laughs at that and she notices that he has green eyes. Bright and good-natured and with a really nice shade to them.
"I knew your name. All details were already sent to me."
She tilts her head at that. The Governor should have already known about her then.
Jeff's smile falters and starts to dissolve.
Crap.
Rey knows she's not the most courteous of people but she didn't mean to intimidate him in any way. Maybe she should have smiled wider.
The man before her stiffens and his smile disappears altogether.
And suddenly Rey knows why. She chides herself for being so distracted that she didn't notice the presence looming behind her. But the Force signature is expertly cloaked for someone who has undergone barely any training.
"You're not in your room," the man rumbles behind her.
She turns slowly and raises her gaze to his angular features.
Does he have to be so ill-tempered all the time?
"I'm not tired."
"I've been searching for you."
"I was exploring your ship."
His black eyes roam her face.
"What's the use of having a personal bodyguard if I can't find them when I'm in need of them?" He states coldly.
To which Rey tries to come up with an excuse but realizes there is none. The man has a point.
He continues to look down at her as if waiting for an answer. And she tries to keep her gaze steady not wanting to give him the full satisfaction of his victory.
He looks tired.
She can't help but notice with him standing so close to her. The circles under his eyes are almost as dark as his gaze.
"It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't." He switches to Jeff who has kept completely silent throughout their whole interaction. Probably some kind of self-preserving mechanism.
"Get her a commlink. I won't have time to go searching for her when the next attempt on my life takes place."
"Immediately Mr. Solo."
He steps back and turns to leave and Rey can't believe how relieved she feels to have his crowding presence back away from her. His gait clanks heavily on the metal platform and his black robes absorb completely the blue light that comes from the humming hyperdrive.
He reminds her of a black hole. A very conceited, egotistical and rude black hole that thrives on devouring any kind of pleasantness from his surroundings.
The doors swoosh open allowing the light from the corridor to fall inside. He pauses. A stark shadow against the light and turns his profile over his shoulder again, working his jaw.
"He wants you to follow him," Jeff mumbles behind her.
Oh for Force's sake.
Rey wants to roll her eyes. There is nothing wrong with using actual words to state one's wish. She can gauge intentions and catch surface thoughts but she can't flat out read minds.
He resumes his heavy pace, ebony cloak rippling down his body in waves and Rey hurries to catch up with him.
He doesn't pay her much heed as he leads the way down the sleek charcoal corridor to another pair of automated doors. A small conference room lays behind them and several heads turn to look at them as he strolls inside without breaking stride.
It seems like they are late judging from the restlessness in the room.
Probably because of me.
Rey can't help but feel a ping of guilt at that.
He doesn't apologize. Or make any kind of comment concerning the reasons they are late. Simply takes his seat at the head of the table. Rey scans the room and decides to stand by the large duraglass window and its streaks of hyperspace, a few paces to the Governor's side. He powers up a holoprojection on the middle of the polished table and is about to speak but seems to reconsider since all eyes are curiously drawn to Rey.
She must stick out like a sore thumb amongst all the greys and black and polished metal surfaces of the modern ship. Rey stands completely still in her beige and brown robes, dusted in sand and with their hems a bit muddy, trying her best to contain herself from fidgeting.
He turns slightly on his seat to face her but avoids looking directly at her. He lifts a hand in introduction.
"This is…" The Governor trails off expectantly.
Stars...
"Rey Jakku," she fills in promptly. He glances at her. Maybe a little curiously. But it doesn't last, and Rey's not even sure it happened.
"She is the Jedi we have all been expecting," he informs them.
He actually takes the time to introduce the few people to her. Rey is barely able to get a feel of them as he flies over their names and positions. Some offer their hand to her, others bow lightly in respect. It is over before she realizes and next thing she knows he is gesturing to a slender woman next to him with purple hair, whose name Rey has already forgotten but was introduced as being the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to begin.
"Cantonica is complaining of increased incidents of piracy in their sector most probably from the Guavian Death gang."
"I thought it had been dismantled by the Hutt cartel."
"That's what we all thought but apparently Cantonica believes otherwise."
"Is there any proof?"
"Hardly."
He leans back on his chair, rapping fingers on the obsidian surface of the table for a few moments.
"We have to check into it. Amilyn, what do you propose?"
She goes into an elaborate description of a plan that was in the making, and Rey tunes off the conversation concentrating instead on skimming surface thoughts and emotions in the room. Apart from a little fear and dislike there are no other malicious thoughts directed towards the Governor. She watches him rake his hand through his long black hair on a few occasions.
Rey glances over to the blue light passing by the window, feeling a little bored. And slightly sleepy. The monotonous voice of a man talking about a failed stock market in some world within the Middle Rim and the repercussions it could have on Coruscant's vast banking system spread throughout the galaxy is not exactly thrilling. A few stifled yawns are passed around and she catches the Governor rubbing at his eyes.
He looks as if he hasn't slept in ages.
"Your Correlian adversary has released information regarding Han Solo and his smuggling of Rathtars to king Plutt," the woman with the purple hair states, sounding a little miffed.
Uncomfortable silence stretches on the table as everyone waits with bated breath for their Governor's reaction.
Rey is close enough to catch a mutter fall from him, as he rubs circles on his temple with eyes shut. Somebody coughs.
He finally turns to Jeff sitting across the conference table.
"Get in contact with his assistant and inform them that if the Prime Minister doesn't release a statement about the information concerning my father being false, his most recent images in Canto Bight will be released to the press. He'll know which ones I mean."
Jeff hesitates but nods in acceptance. "Yes sir."
Rey's curiosity spikes as she catches an image of a roguish looking man kneeling in front of a young girl with hair pulled back in three buns. She senses it came from the Governor. She immediately chases after it, dipping invisible fingers into a very troubled mind. Just a brush really. To see if…
The Governor stiffens. A swirl of his seat and she finds him sending her an absolutely scathing glare.
Rey flinches, tearing away delicate fingertips from the surface of his thoughts.
"You will not do that. Ever. Again." He snarls at her and Rey feels as if the earth has been split under her feet and she is teetering on the brink of chasm.
She blinks, startled but no emotion seeps into her features. She stares steadily but coldly back at him, their gazes locked in some kind of duel of wills.
He is the one to break away first, returning to the meeting with a shadow across his face as Rey stares out of the duraglass window once again. They have dropped out of hyperspace she notices through the numbness that has enveloped her. The vast simmering space a comfortable place to rest her thoughts.
The meeting drags and he has not signaled her dismissal. So Rey stands throughout it. Feet spread and hands locked behind her back.
It finally comes to an end and everyone files out.
The Governor has come to stand by the window a few paces away. The lights have been dimmed in the Conference room, and whatever light filters through the window only accentuates the sharp angles of his face. He is staring at the looming form of a glittering planet with his jaw clenched, completely ignoring her presence.
Rey has had enough. She decides to take her leave as well.
"Not you," he says.
She pauses and looks back at him. The Governor's gaze is trained on her.
His black hair is ruffled and a dark strand falls in his line of vision but does nothing to hide the anger that simmers in his eyes.
"If I catch you searching my thoughts again, I will have you exiled to the Outer Rim for the remainder of your days and not even Skywalker will be able to help you," he promises through clenched teeth. "Henceforth, you will stay out of my way and out of my mind."
She cannot believe this is happening.
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
"I can't protect you if you don't allow me near you."
"You just invaded my mind. I should have you thrown in a cell."
She narrows her eyes at him as anger starts to boil in her chest. He is twisting things around and this interaction is spiraling out of her control in a way that she had never imagined possible before.
"Why don't you then? It will save me the trouble of putting my life at stake for you!"
"Don't patronize me."
"I'm not. This is what I'm supposed to be here for."
"Then you're a fool."
She bites her lip in an effort to stop herself from saying something insulant in his face. And fails spectacularly.
"Luke believes you're worth saving, for some peculiar reason that is beyond me. You are conceited and arrogant and I wouldn't have spent a moment of my time around you under different circumstances," she grits out, "but I plan on keeping my promise to him. And your mother."
"Skywalker is a disappointment. He doesn't live up to the legend he's built himself to be. You're wasting your life in his academy."
Rey crosses her arms in front of her chest.
"Look who's mingling now."
He doesn't respond immediately. But he does take those few steps separating them and she braces herself for his attack.
"You have neglected your new duties, you have searched my mind against my will and have insulted me in the worst possible way aboard my own ship. Why should I trust you?"
"Because it is my duty to…"
"You don't seriously expect me to believe Skywalker's romantic convictions of what a Jedi should be. They are delusions."
"They are very much real." She states firmly looking directly into those dark eyes of his. They are gleaming against his drawn, pale face. The Governor tilts his head, almost as if he is toying with her and leans a little closer. Rey feels his breath on her face, minty mixed with a pleasant muskier scent that must come from his clothes.
"Will you do it? Will you actually risk your life to save mine, Jedi?" He asks, voice low and eerily calm. It settles strangely in her stomach causing it to sink all the way down to her knees.
He lingers, eyes boring into hers, sharp enough to sear through her mind if provoked.
Rey pulls away with a thudding heart in her chest, and scrambles to raise her walls.
His dark gaze follows her but he doesn't say a word. She finds herself able to breathe again once a few paces are between them and makes a mental note never to underestimate this man again. He is cunning and powerful and ruthless in a way she has never dealt with before.
And Dark.
So Dark. Despite his supposed lack of training.
The Governor straightens his back and turns to look out the window again, clasping his hands behind his back. His black clad form blends with the darkness of space and the shadows of the room.
"You are dismissed," he states plainly.
Rey cannot leave fast enough.
Author's note: How much more will Rey be able to take from her boss?