Hi, sorry! Just a head's up, this chapter is mostly filler. Just a quick reunion with her Knight, who's in medical. The real meeting with the real Resistance begins the chapter after! Hope you all enjoy! If this chapter feels rushed, it's because it was. I am sooo busy right now, but I will make sure that the non-filler chapters are as well-written as possible!

Rey stretched her arms and grunted for a solid minute before sighing in content.

Her sleep for the last two nights had been one of the best ones in her life. On the first night after her private meeting with Leia and with all the catastrophe that had happened, she was bone-tired. So, so tired. She didn't even examine the room. All she did the moment she got in was strip off her dirty scavenger clothes and immediately tuck herself in naked.

She spent the entire day in bed, sleeping. She didn't even eat. At that moment, sleep had taken precedence over anything else she needed in order to survive.

The second day was no different. Rey spent the entire day in her room. She woke up hungry, but that slipped her mind the moment her eyes settled on the Jedi text. She had spent the entire day familiarizing herself with the language and absorbing all the information the text had to offer. Although it enlightened her with invaluable information, it also placed many questions in her mind.

One of the few joys about the tiny room she was cramped in was that it had its own refresher. The water almost scalded her flesh away, but it made her feel alive. Something about a hot shower was as rejuvenating as a plateful of real food on an empty stomach.

Leia must have taken the liberty to stock the room with clothes. As far as Rey could tell, she and the General were the only ones who had a private room to themselves. There were only a few in the hallway, to begin with. The rest of the Resistance probably had bunks; that's how it had been in the past.

Rey frowned when she opened the drawers. She didn't know what to expect, but she thought that the supplies would at least be…different. There was a pair of basic cargo pants that all the Resistance members wore alongside a tan t-shirt with a—

Rey brushed her fingers over the Resistance jacket. For some reason, the thought of wearing it sickened her. She searched the rest of the drawers only to come up short. There was nothing else, and if she didn't choose to wear it, then the only clothes she had were her original dirty outfit.

"Leave it to that woman to think of something like this."

The refresher had a washer and Rey chuckled in disbelief.

She dumped her clothes from Jakku into the machine and slipped on a pair of underwear and then the full Resistance outfit. There was no food-ordering service in her chambers, and she wasn't going to sit in the room for the next few days. She had things to do, duties to fulfill—

Duties?

Rey juggled her options. She could go look for members of the Resistance. Finn, Poe…especially BB8. She missed that cute little droid. Call her a perfectionist, but there was just something about straightening his antenna and his response that made her smile.

But that was the past. Her smile slowly slipped. Finn was probably ignoring her. Poe…she wasn't too close to him, and if Finn was ignoring her, then Poe was probably worse.

Then her mind went to Jarrok and immediately, Rey began to chew her lip. In a split second, she made up her mind.

The medical ward wasn't hard to find; it was in the same wing as her room, after all. Two hallways and a few turns later, and she was there. Apart from the metal door, there was nothing else signifying its importance.

The doors slid through. She took a few steps forward but was immediately stopped by a doctor passing through with his nose in his clipboard.

"The ward is currently closed—"

"I'm here to see my Knight," Rey interrupted.

The doctor's head lifted. Rey watched as he soaked in her Resistance jacket like nothing new, but then he lost all color when his eyes moved to her face and began stammering.

"O—O—I'm so—sorry, yes. Of course. R—Right this way."

Maybe it was the apex predator in her, but there was something about the sound of a scared man in obvious terror at her that caused her blood to sing. There was something empowering and delicious about the look of fear as he recognized her for who she was.

Still, she wasn't here to fight, and she owed it to Leia for her mother figure in the past to be cordial to these people.

"Thank you," she said, silently chastising the dark within her. The doctor gave a nervous nod and strode forward past a couple of hallways. Rey followed him until he stopped at a blank door. He took a file that was dangling from the door.

"He is awake and conscious as of early this morning," the doctor told her. "Would you like me to debrief you on his condition?"

"Debrief?" Rey asked, quirking her eyebrow. "No, thank you. I'll talk to him myself."

"O—Of course. I'll be right outside if you need anything."

"That won't be necessary, doctor. You must be busy. Please, go about your other duties."

Rey didn't bother knocking on the door. She didn't bother hiding her Force signature and she was sure Jarrok could sense her.

As anticipated, he was already sitting up.

"Lady Rey," he greeted.

"Jarrok," Rey responded, soaking in his appearance. His black clothes were stripped off his body and strewn on the counter next to the Bacta tank. He himself was wrapped in white gauze in which the width stretched from just under his sternum to his pelvis.

"What brings you here?"

There was something off about Jarrok. As soon as Rey stepped through the door, she couldn't help but think that he was keeping something from her.

"I'm just checking up on you." She sat down in a Force-pulled chair and then rested her hand on top of his. "How is the recovery?"

"Slow," Jarrok replied, and Rey immediately got the vibe that he was lying. "I was in the Bacta tank for the entire day yesterday. I also feel sore."

"You did take a blaster bolt through the stomach, after all. I'm not surprised."

"Lady Rey, how goes your situation with the Resistance?" Jarrok's eyes dips to Rey's jacket.

Rey squirmed and tossed the jacket off. "Don't start making assumptions. It was the only thing I could find in my chambers. My own clothes were dirty."

"If you are looking for a new pair of clothes, there is one in the storage unit of my ship."

"As much as I appreciate your concern, I don't think your clothes would fit."

"Not for me. For you."

Rey lifted an eyebrow. "Explain."

Jarrok hoisted himself up to a more comfortable position. "The Supreme Leader requested that all the Knights carry spare clothes on board of their ships in case you needed a quick change of attire."

Rey stared at him for a solid ten seconds before throwing her head back and laughing.

"You can't be serious! Kylo Ren asked you all to do this?!"

The corner of Jarrok's mouth twitches. "Didn't ask. Commanded."

Rey waved her hand absentmindedly. "Commanded, right. I forgot. Kylo can be a condescending arse sometimes, don't you think?"

"I can't answer that, Lady Rey."

"Oh, come on," she squeezed his hand. "I'm not like Kylo. I'm not going to choke you just because you slander his name every once in a while."

Jarrok chuckled. "You really love him, don't you?"

All the relaxation left Rey's body and she stiffened.

"Love?"

"My apologies, Lady Rey. I spoke without thinking."

"No…" Rey raised her other hand and stopped him in his tracks. "Love." In all honesty, she didn't even know what that was. She had never experienced anything amongst the lines of it, but her relationship with Kylo was far from just Master-Apprentice. There was something else. She was sure it was the Force bond that caused her to feel the tingles and the way she did when she was around Kylo. That was a fact. The only uncertainty was whether she could still feel the same way she did if there wasn't one.

"Maker…" she whispered. "You might be right."

"It is very evident. Sula noticed it first. Something comes over you when we talk about him. Even when you two were fighting, she said it was only because you cared about each other."

Rey found her cheeks slowly growing warm. It was unusual to hear about her relationship with Kylo from one of her Knights.

"Jarrok, do I need to inform Sula where you are?"

"Yes, Lady Rey. That would be nice."

"Of course. I'll have to get in touch with the First Order. I wouldn't be surprised if Kylo forces me to fill a report when we return."

"You don't have any qualms about leaving the Resistance?"

Rey looked down. "That's a tricky question, Jarrok. I don't know. If it's one thing I've learned since getting dragged into this war, it's that nothing is ever black and white. I used to think that the Resistance was the purest of all, the best example of what was good and right. That the First Order, because they were against for what the Resistance strived to achieve, was everyone's enemy. I thought everyone in the galaxy sympathized with the Resistance, whether they verbalized it or not. I was so wrong. Do you know what I thought about the First Order when I started living on the Finalizer?"

"Please tell."

"I couldn't help it—I was just so surprised by how normal everyone seemed. I mean, when I visited the captain's deck with Kylo, I saw the faces of all the First Order personnel. They didn't have any evil scars or wicked smiles or smirks or anything. They seemed so normal. And when I ate with Sula in the cafeteria one day, everyone was in their own little groups, talking and laughing and discussing everyday life. It was so normal. I still can't wrap my head around it. When I was with the Resistance, all I thought was that the First Order were evil. Evil, evil, and evil. That no one in the First Order had even a tiny shred of humanity. That their souls were all condemned."

"Things were as you described, Lady Rey. Under Supreme Leader Snoke, there was a loss of humanity within us. His existence plagued us and got under our skin and in our minds. Often times, I didn't feel like myself anymore." When Rey stayed silent, Jarork assumed it was his job to continue.

"Things really have changed since Kylo assumed the role of Supreme Leader. He is the same bloodthirsty fiend he had always been, but he is not so devoid of humanity to the point Snoke was. Even though his leadership has been short, it has been effective. The First Order really looks up to him."

All Rey could think about when Jarrok said that was the image of Kylo choking the First Order pilot as they descended onto Numina. She smiled at the memory.

"The scariest for me during my time with the First Order was that I felt like I was acclimating. No matter how much I fought and how much I tried to resist the tug, I felt like I was slowly fitting in with the rest of the population. I started thinking less about the Resistance and more about my place in the First Order."

"Sometimes our opinions change once we obtain a personal experience from the other side."

Jarrok shuffled in his bed and Rey frowned. It was back again, the weird nagging feeling that he was keeping something from her.

"What have you been told about the Resistance, Jarrok?" she asked, pouring all of her attention into her hand. She felt it—just the tiniest of twitches before it went away.

"I was bred in the Dark, Lady Rey. I see myself loyal to no one else but you and Supreme Leader Kylo."

As much as that appeased her, it was not what Rey was looking for.

"I'm not talking about loyalties. I'm talking about what you learned about the Resistance. The same with what I thought about the First Order before my change."

"Evil. We were all raised by Snoke to do his bidding. We were all told by Snoke of the Resistance. That they fought to tumble all the legacy left by the previous Dark Lords, that they fought with cheap, dirty tactics and to expect the unexpected from them. That the Resistance was nothing more than a group of scoundrels led by a wicked General."

Jarrok looked down at the last word.

"I sense something disturbing you, Jarrok."

He didn't respond at first, but Rey knew he heard her. She would give him time. She could feel his inner turmoil inside as he collected his thoughts and tried to formulate a way to go about his answer.

"I'm confused, Lady Rey."

"Confused about what?" She gave his hand a firm squeeze to encourage him.

"The General."

Whatever it was, Rey wasn't expecting that.

"Leia?"

"Yes. She told me not to tell you this, but I think she knew I would. I think that's honestly the only reason why she told me not to tell you. Because by implanting that idea in my mind, I now want to tell you."

"Yes," Rey nodded, growing slightly impatient. "What is it?"

"I think it's better if you see for yourself."

Jarrok lifted a bit of the thin covers off of him with the Force and began to unravel his gauze. Strip by strip loosened until the entire thing was off, to which Rey could see an unblemished stomach.

"The General healed me, Lady Rey."

Rey's mouth dropped. Her hand left Jarrok's and touched his chiseled abdomen, her fingertips running over where there was supposed to be a gaping hole but wasn't. She leaned back, her mouth still agape. It wasn't the fact that he was healed. It was more so that it was Leia, public enemy of the First Order, who healed him. And when she realized something else, she slapped her forehead.

"Stupid, stupid! How could I have forgotten!" she muttered.

"Lady Rey?"

"Bacta has enormous healing processes, but even it can't bring dead tissue back to life. I even told Kylo about it when he came in one night to my room after destroying his—you know, that doesn't matter."

"I don't understand, Lady Rey."

"I don't understand it either, Jarrok," she said. And she didn't. Why would Leia, out of everyone, heal him? Was it because she felt like there was some obligation to her son? Was it because she knew that Jarrok would die in medical because the bacta wouldn't save him? Was it because she wanted them off Coruscant as soon as possible? Or was it because she wanted to rub it in Rey's face at how she was a better person, not overlooking this simple mistake like she had? Rey didn't like the last thought; it attacked her pride.

Rey didn't even know that Leia was strong enough to Force heal. Two days ago, she had told Rey herself that she couldn't do anything but simple parlor tricks.

She didn't need to ask to see that there was conflict swimming in his eyes. He had basically affirmed everything moments ago—that what he thought about the Resistance was what Rey thought of the First Order before she was captured. Now the tides have turned. Jarrok experienced first-hand that Leia Organa was not the deranged General he had been told. It all came back down to how war wasn't black and white.

"What are your plans now, Lady Rey? Has General Organa told us anything about our stay?"

"Our stays are mandatory—"

"What?!"

"—only until you are fully healed. Then it's optional."

Jarrok chuckled. "I could do with another day here. It's a lot different than I thought. The Resistance isn't as barbaric as Snoke portrayed."

"Of course not," Rey scoffed. "How could barbarians ever match the First Order?"

"You must want to visit your friends." At the word friends, her heart sank.

"That's the plan," she said. "But I'm not sure how they will respond."

"I don't believe real friendships could ever die. They are forged by something greater than things that we define—war, for one. If I were you, I would go see them."

"Thank you, Jarrok," Rey said. Then, "How many days does the doctor recommend you remain in bed?"

"Just one more. Then I should be ready to serve you again, Lady Rey."

Rey smiled. "I want to introduce you to the Resistance then."

"Lady Rey, I'm not sure if that's—"

"Forget Kylo. I have full authority as well, no? If it comes down to it, I'll command you to come with me." Her voice lowers. "I saw how human the First Order was. Perhaps if you experience the Resistance, you'll be able to see how they're quite human as well." Of course, that's only if she was accepted back. If not, then there was no reason to stay.

It was a spontaneous decision by her, but it was not done without reason. Since the war started, Rey had always thought about how much better everyone—the people fighting the war and the innocent as well—if there was no war. But it would never happen. The First Order and the Resistance were the enemies of enemies. They would never reconcile.

But what if they could? What if instead of one side triumphing over the other, there could be a truce? Maybe this was the key to all this. It'll take one small step at a time, like introducing Jarrok to the Resistance, but if it ultimately led to success, then who's to complain?

"You look quite uncomfortable in those clothes."

Rey's thoughts were disrupted by Jarrok. She looked down at her pants. "Yeah."

"You should go to the ship now. I think we've had a meaningful conversation already. I'll do as the doctor says for today and then you'll have me back tomorrow, ready to serve."

"Of course, Jarrok." Rey gave his hand one last squeeze, unwilling slipping into the Resistance jacket before getting to her feet.

"Lady Rey," he acknowledged.

Rey gave him a nod and left. Now, she had a real schedule. She fiddled with her lightsaber the entire time she was walked until she finished retracing her steps back to her quarters. She debated on going in and putting on her washed scavenger clothes, for they had to be clean and dry by now, but it didn't feel right. It wouldn't feel her. Her scavenger clothes were a token of the past, back when she had a much simpler life scavenging and slaving away on Jakku. It wasn't the right attire for her now.

The platform was easy to find—there was a hallway that rested right in between the two wings that led out to it. Rey didn't see anyone at all during her walk to the ship—maybe it was too early or a rest day—and no one apparently seemed to be guarding Jarrok's ship either. Apparently Leia really trusted them.

Rey dismantled the locks inside the ship. The hangar slid open. Impatient, Rey jumped forward with aid from the Force before the ramp had fully descended and slipped inside. It was clean. There was no trace of Damesh or his comrade. She wondered what the Resistance did with them.

The storage drawer wasn't hard to find. It was near the place where Rey and Jarrok had been confined on their journey to Coruscant. She pulled it open and sighed in content at the sight of black. All black everything. Her hand dipped inside and she ran her fingers through the fabric, shivering with delight at rough it felt.

Confident that no one would see her, she pulled out the entire drawer filled with her clothes and quickly changed. One capri-length pants, a wrap dress, tunic, gloves, belt, and boots later—she was dressed in all black. And not only that, but the darkness inside her hummed, satisfied at the least by her display.

Rey didn't need a mirror to know what she looked like—the clothes she wore now were the same back when she first wore them aboard the Finalizer.

It felt good to be back.