Ray of light
Author's note: He is not nice.
Rey is becoming acquainted with the Governor's back rather well.
It is broad, slightly hunched at the shoulders as if his height needs to be reigned in. Or because he is always so ready to launch an attack at any of his staff who displeases him or is not fast enough to get out of his way, it has become part of his stature. Rey has trouble deciding.
A Mandalorian is leading their party heavily armored and with his very deadly weapons in full display. She can't help but wonder why her presence is even needed. The Governor has gone to great lengths to keep himself from being assassinated.
Rey stays consistently two paces behind him and to his right, making sure not to glimpse at any thoughts drifting from his stormy mind. His very dark, cloudy and thundering mind. Ignoring such a maelstrom in her immediate periphery is like sailing a boat on the outskirts of a hurricane. Any wrong move and she'll be right in the eye of it.
They go up the wide steps of the Senate, the guards flanking their sides not breaking rank by a single hair. Rey raises her eyes to look at the sky. It is overcast, grey clouds heavy with the promise of rain. She is already starting to miss Tatooine.
It is crowded within the entrance hall, packed with delegates, senators and leaders from all over the galaxy and all of them are surrounded by an entourage of their own. Their voices resonate inside the grand building in anticipation for the upcoming assembly. Rey's guard is up, spreading as wide as possible in an effort to grasp any mal intents towards the Governor. She realizes to her chagrin there are plenty.
The Mandalorian easily cuts through the crowd as it parts like the sea, giving their party a wide birth. The Governor of Coruscant is a well-respected man and from what she senses quite feared.
Rey's attention returns to the heavy black cloak before her. It simmers lightly when it ripples under the lights of the hall and matches perfectly the Governor's black thick hair, which is carefully combed and impressively set in perfect glossy waves that reach his shoulders.
Rey frowns.
She hadn't been able to remove all the sand from her own hair last night, despite the long bath she had taken in her own private fresher. She must look like a rat. Even though she did pick her white tunic with the hood to wear, and leggings that were clean. The cleanest ones she had, at least. Her cloak was beyond recognizable due to the mud and sand covering the rough wool so she decided to skip wearing it altogether.
Suddenly the Governor's head turns over his right shoulder and he looks at her. Rey darts her eyes to the side mortified, looking at the series of windows and balconies they are currently walking by.
Oh, Gods.
She really hadn't intended for any thoughts to slip out. She really hopes none of her thoughts have slipped out. Because if that is the case, she can might as well just resign and save herself the trouble of further chastisement and humiliation from the man.
She can feel her cheeks heat but when she glances back he has already turned away.
Rays of sun have broken through the heavy sky, falling in radiant beams through the windows and forming bright patches on the thick burgundy carpet of the corridor. The Governor passes like a shadow under them without paying any attention to their warmth. But Rey can't resist. She has missed the sun already and it has only been a day.
She pauses under one of the rays and lets it seep into her skin. It feels a bit like coming home. Her eyes close, and she stands completely still drinking in the warmth of it, storing it within her as if she's some form of battery and the sun her only source of energy in this barren world she has found herself to be. Everything has been shut out. The voices, the ruffling of fabric, the clanking of armor and the man's opaque presence.
There is only her. And the Light.
It is soothing.
And can't last forever.
Murmurs are drifting to her ears again and she reluctantly chooses to return to the world. Meditation will have to wait for later.
She opens her eyes feeling a bit disoriented.
And the first thing she sees is the Governor standing a few paces away, body half turned and looking at her as if he has been struck by lightning. The look on his face is almost endearing. But then again, this is the Governor she's dealing with. He is anything but endearing.
She comes to stand back in her place and he watches her every step of the way. There's an indecipherable expression on his face and she is hesitant to see what lays beneath it.
"Are you done?" He deadpans.
"Yes," she says simply. No reason to poke at the beast.
"May I return to my duties and join the assembly now?"
Ha. Funny.
"Yes."
"Should I worry about losing your valuable presence in the crowd again?"
Rey scoffs. What a jerk.
"I'll find you. You're hard to miss. No need to be brash."
"It is a large building. You might not be able to..."
She cuts him off with an arch of her eyebrow. "I can find my way anyplace in this galaxy, Governor. Can we continue?" She might have come out as slightly obnoxious now that she thinks about it, but he hasn't been the most pleasant of people either.
He presses his lips together as he regards her and Rey can tell he is trying to swallow some kind of comment. Her eyes never waver from his.
The Governor shifts to the side, raising his gloved hand for her to lead the way. A smirk plays on his lips and his eyes gleam with irritation.
"After you, my lady."
He can't be serious.
"Surely, you don't mean for me to…" she trails off at his stony expression. "I don't even know which chamber holds the Senate's…"
"Why don't you use the Force then, Jedi? It is a beacon of light, after all. Isn't it?"
Rey scowls. She is already running out of adjectives to describe him.
She straightens her back because she is not making any more of a scene. If he wants to be a bloody idiot about this, it's fine by her. She hadn't meditated for any more than a few seconds and cannot for the life of her understand why this man is so obsessed with having full control of everyone in his life. She glides past him, her bare shoulder barely brushing against the medals of distinction pinned on his chest. She ignores his towering figure and moves ahead, all the while battling with herself whether she should lead them all to a fresher just to spite him. She decides against it.
It takes a couple of wrong turns before the Mandalorian sets his armored hand on her shoulder and signals for her to let him go first. She immediately relents, falling back to her original place behind the Governor's right shoulder. The man never spares her a glance.
They reach a long corridor with multiple narrow doors on one side and the Mandalorian stops in front of one, opens it, and stands to the side with arms crossed in front of his chest. The Governor passes through and leaves it open. Rey hesitates, glancing at the armored man questioningly and he nods in his distinctive helmet for her to go through, as well.
An enormous dark amphitheatre stretches out before her. It is filled from floor to ceiling with hundreds of illuminated cubicles. The vast majority of them have occupants ranging from humanoids to alien species Rey has never seen before.
The Governor nods at Amilyn Holdo, who is already seated in their cubicle, and at one of his assistants. Rey stands looking at the imposing assembly of the New Republic feeling overwhelmed. How is she supposed to protect him under an attack in such a place? It's too crowded. Anyone could make an attempt and she wouldn't even see it coming.
Her heart clenches in dread.
This is insane.
There's a touch on the small of her back and she nearly startles out of her boots. Her eyes snap at the Governor next to her and realizes dumbstruck that it's his hand on her. He's looking at her but Rey can't see his face in the shadows of the cubicle.
"You will sit behind me," he rumbles softly, and for some reason his composure comforts her. "Stay focused," he continues as if he has sensed her scattered emotions.
Rey nods and his hand falls from her back leaving her oddly exposed. He takes his place in the middle of the cubicle, his dark robes folding richly on his sides. She drags her eyes from him with a bit of difficulty.
There's a cubicle hovering in the middle of the Senate and its spokesman is giving a passionate speech gesturing wildly with his four arms. It's in a foreign language and Rey notices the Governor putting on an earpiece. There is constant murmuring in the Senate and an occasional disruption by some delegate voicing an opposition. Soon enough another cubicle takes its place and so on and so forth.
Time passes by and Rey finds herself able to filter out the insignificant thoughts drifting in the area and focuses more on the ones directed towards the Governor. But they are fleeting and vague and nothing comes out of it.
There is a short recess and Rey wants to thank the heavens. A droid rolls inside setting a tray with multiple snacks and refreshments and Rey's stomach grumbles in enthusiasm. She waits for the Governor to be the first to dig in but, apparently, he is not interested because he steps outside and strikes a conversation with a Senator from Chandrilla, instead.
"No need to wait for Ben," Minister Holdo comments lightly. "He'll get so engrossed with the Senator that he'll forget to eat all together. Don't be shy. Serve yourself."
Rey is never shy when it comes to food.
She has eaten two sandwiches and is on her fifth pastry when she notices the Governor's eyes on her. She quickly licks at the rich cream on her upper lip and wipes the fruit glaze that has certainly stuck on her cheek. Of course she'd fall victim to her insatiable stomach in the middle of the Senate. She can't think of anything worse happening.
The Governor gestures his goodbyes to the Senator and returns to his seat. Rey feels his gaze still on her as she is wiping at a stain on her leggings. Long slender fingers come into view picking a small snack with black fish eggs on its top from the tray. His ungloved fingers.
"I highly doubt the Noonian sector will come to any kind of agreement with the Rodians about the hyperspace lanes," Holdo comments casually as she stares out with an arm perched on the cubicles ledge.
The Governor hums around his bite, chewing slowly as he contemplates his answer. His dark eyes fall on her again and are quickly averted. Rey wonders if she has any of the red glaze left on her cheek and wipes at it as discretely as possible.
"The Rodians have no choice," he says after swallowing. "They'll have to eventually share the lanes with the rest of the sector since the mineral planets there will be further exploited."
"The Rodian was bluffing," Rey can't help but comment. She had sensed that specie's attempt to manipulate the Senate hearing to its benefit.
The Governor reaches for a pastry. The ones with the fruit glaze and cream. "I agree," he says much to Rey's surprise. He bites into it and chews savoring its taste and Rey feels as if she is missing something crucial.
"Tell me, Jedi," he says eventually as he sucks the cream from the tip of his thumb. "Are any kind of indulgences allowed in Luke's academy besides food or is it as strict as I remember it to be?"
Rey nearly chokes on her water at that.
I hope he doesn't mean what I think he means.
"Ben," Amilyn Holdo sends him a warning look. "Leave her alone."
"It's just a question. She's not obliged to answer it," he says innocently as he sits back on his chair, eyes glinting under the poor lighting of the cubicle.
He's enjoying this.
Rey feels heat rising on her chest and spreading to her cheeks. The bastard literally wants to get a rise out of her. And it's working. She is furious.
"You left. So I guess you'll never find out now. Will you?"
"On the contrary, Rey. Very little escapes my knowledge these days."
It is the first time he's used her name and it sounds so wrong the way it falls from his lips.
She stands up wiping her hands on the side of her leggings and trying to restrain them from shaking. She turns to Minister Holdo. "The Governor should really start to think twice before he speaks. Maybe then, people wouldn't be so eager to kill him."
She doesn't wait for an answer. Simply storms through the door, bumping straight into the Mandalorian's back. He staggers but by the time he realizes what has happened Rey has fled down the corridor and to the nearest balcony.
The fresh air and light drizzle hit her face and Rey feels like crying. The man had been flat out insolent. And nothing, nothing, excuses his behavior. She takes in a few gulps of air trying to calm her pounding heart.
It's not long before she feels a light hand on her shoulder and turns to see a very concerned Amilyn Holdo.
"Don't pay any attention to what he says," she tries to comfort her. "Ben is really not as bad as he wants to seem."
Rey chuckles coldly at that. "He had me fooled then. It doesn't matter though. I'll get in contact with Luke and ask him to assign another Jedi to the Governor if he really wants to. I'm not staying another moment with him."
The Minister looks sadly at her. "Maybe you shouldn't rush into decisions, even though you have every right to be mad…" She raises her hands in defense at Rey's glare. "But please, do try to return to him for the day. He will be speaking later tonight and I'd feel a lot more comfortable if I knew you were on his side."
Rey looks at the bleeding colors of sunset and the view of endless glittering buildings and zooming air lanes that consist the capital world of Hosnian Prime. Such a different world than what she is used to.
She eventually nods with a bite of her lip. "I will. I promise."
Rey returns much, much later after having calmed enough to deal with this man. When she walks inside, the assembly has already started and the Governor is in his seat with his hand on the earpiece. The lights are dimmed again and she silently takes her seat behind him. He slowly turns his head over his shoulder to look at her and she feels her heart wedge on her throat.
Stars, please…
She doesn't believe she can handle any more confrontations with him.
The Governor doesn't say anything, though. Simply reaches out to get another earpiece and hands it to her over his shoulder. His sharp profile waiting for her to take it.
Some kind of peace offering, perhaps.
She reaches for it and his bare fingers brush against her colder ones lightly. And linger there. Almost delicately.
Rey quickly pulls away.
She sets the small device on her ear with trembling fingertips and does her best to listen to the translation. His head turns around and Rey is left to stare at his black strands and broad shoulders once again.
It's not until later in the evening that the Governor takes the floor. His voice is deep but imposing in the vast room and has captured the Senate's attention effortlessly. There seems to be some form of debate with the Chancellor of Plexus about the funding of the Outer Rim worlds. It is a prickly subject raising either heated objections or steadfast agreement from numerous delegations and Senators around the room.
And then Rey senses it.
The Governor is standing in the middle of the cubicle engrossed in his debate with his opponent. It is impossible to spot where that fleeting thought had come from. She stands up and swirls her head trying to pinpoint its origin amongst the crowd but it is practically impossible.
The Governor must have sensed her alarm because he slides his eyes in her direction. His speech falters for a fraction of a moment as he locks his dark gaze with hers questioningly.
She doesn't know what to say to him.
There's a small commotion across from them. Some kind of stirring in the crowd. But Rey can't tell which cubicle it's coming from. Her pulse spikes and the Force thrums in her fingertips, the anticipation gathering like an electrical storm inside her.
Where is it?
If she could only find where that…
A loud noise breaks the Governor's speech.
Blue light erupts in front of his face and Rey finds herself standing in front of him with her saberstaff fully ignited. The light illuminates their whole cubicle and voices around the Senate are raised in alarm. Panic surges in the air as some of the people rush out of their cubicles.
Bright light bathes the Senate and security floods the floors. And then someone is pointing at a crooked cubicle and its terrified occupants. There seems to be some form of malfunction in its hovering mechanism.
That must have been the cracking sound that had resounded in the Senate.
Rey breathes out in relief and disengages her lightsaber. Whatever thought she had picked up has disappeared completely. She chances a look at the Governor to see if he is concerned in any way. But the expression on his face as he is looking at her stops her blood cold.
He is absolutely livid.
Author's note: Who's up for a temper tantrum?