The sun over Hays Minor was a different beast altogether, taking a new form as it drew energy from the volcanic landscape. It bled red over the entire city, radiating a new kind of heat onto the black sand- the smothering air shimmered with intense heat. Growing up near volcanoes had strengthened the local citizens' resilience to the intense heat of Hays Minor.
They were used to such heat, but Jango was not.
He was from a cooler part of Rim and although he had lived in Jakku for years, he had never fully acclimated to the heat there; this place was simply suffocating. Still, he wore his usual cloak and kept to the shadows as much as possible, both for the shade's relief from the burning sun and the cover it offered Jango. The last thing he wanted was to be noticed.
He walked quietly right up to the Tico's home, where he knew the Tico sisters would be. Their father would be at the away at this time, helping to distribute the last of the arms needed for the looming battle.
Jango knocked on a door located on the rear side of the house, and waited another minute before he knocked again. This time, a short girl answered, immediately giving Jango a scrutinizing look up and down his six foot frame. She had tan skin and black hair that flipped out evenly at her cheeks. "What do you want?" Jango knew this girl was Rose Tico, the younger of the two sisters; Paige was supposed to be taller with longer hair.
Jango cleared his throat in preparation for his most soothing voice. "I'm sorry to bother you. I'm a servant of Prince Kylo... I'm afraid I have grave news. Is your family here?" Just then another woman, Paige Tico, came to the door and stood with her sister in the doorframe. She was about half a foot taller than her younger sister Rose and indeed had long dark brown hair that went halfway down her chest.
Paige crossed her arms, barricading herself behind a facade of looking tough. "I'm family. Go ahead, tell us what you came here to say," she said firmly and Rose grabbed her sister's arm for support.
"I'm sorry to inform you that your brother Aiden is dead. I'm very sorry." Jango's voice broke at the end for dramatic effect. He put on his most sympathetic expression, pulling his eyebrows together and frowning.
Rose's grip on Paige tightened and she stopped breathing, struck by the news of her brother's demise. Paige on the other hand, snarled at Jango. "There is no way this can be! Tell me, how did it happen?"
"His highness's new concubine, Rey, is to blame. While she was under his care, Aiden made one mistake and she saw to it that he be punished for it. He was executed over a minor error in her service… I didn't agree with it. I thought you should know, so I came here."
Rose had started to cry and hiccup at Paige's side. "Aiden...Aiden…" she murmured, each Aiden sounding more and more broken. Paige wrapped her arms around Rose and squeezed her sister to her, swallowing the tears forming in her throat. She often resorted to choosing rage over sadness, finding that it helped her handle her grief better so she could be stronger for Rose.
Rose was strong in her own way, uplifting Paige and giving her hope- it grew so easily in Rose. She was extremely empathetic, and Paige often found herself relying on Rose's unique strength. With that empathy came a great capacity to feel and Rose knew she would feel deep sadness before her own rage would take over.
"That is unforgivable! We have to do something." Paige turned her sister so that they could face each other, and held her cheeks in her palms. "Rose, we must avenge Aiden. He deserves this from us."
Rose dragged that back of her hand over her eyes quickly and nodded furiously before straightening up and out of Paige's embrace. "What do we do?" she asked Paige.
Paige turned to face Jango with a steely look in her eyes. "We don't know anything about this girl Rey. What can you tell us?"
"I can help you some but I am worried about being involved. I have already incriminated myself by coming here, but I can tell you what I know. Rey, she is just a simple girl that Prince Kylo has taken to. I know she is joining him on his voyage here to Hays Minor. More importantly, I've overheard a rumor that the head of the Nightbrothers, Savage Opress, is out to capture the girl. Perhaps you may use that to your advantage."
He shuffled around inside his cloak, looking for something. "Oh yes! I swiped this before I left the palace. It's from Prince Kylo's personal stock of poultices, potions, and poisons. This one is meant to be very quick and very effective; it guarantees death if a single drop enters the mouth. I hope it can help you. I'm sorry I cannot offer more."
Rose spoke this time, "No, you've done enough, sir. Thank you for telling us about our brother" her voice cracked, "and about this girl Rey." She bowed her head once, turned on her heel, and sweeped back into the house to cry some more in the privacy of her room; she needed a moment or two alone to gather herself.
Paige thanked Jango as well and took the poison from him. It was in an unmarked vial made of some sort of white stone. Small detailed carvings were etched into the design of the vial, intricate waves dancing off the edges. It certainly seemed to Paige that this belonged to royalty, and it also seemed credible that this man had indeed stolen it from Kylo's palace. She believed his story and with that, her heart seemed to leap into her throat.
She quickly ended the encounter, claiming to need to prepare quickly for the Prince's arrival, but went to find Rose instead. She entered her sister's room and saw that Rose had curled up in bed, lying on her side and shaking. Paige approached the bed, lifted the covers to climb in, and wrapped her arms around Rose in comfort, finally shedding her own tears too.
Poe had ridden ahead of the army at Kylo's request, arriving first to Hays Minor to break the news to the Tico family in a sensitive and timely manner. Kylo would've liked to do it himself but he knew the opportunity to properly do so wouldn't present itself until after the battle against the Nightbrothers, and he knew that would be far too late. Poe knew the sisters well enough and held the utmost respect for their father; he was the perfect candidate for the job. Not to mention, Poe tended to be a very comforting presence.
The plan was to tell the Tico's that Aiden's death was at the hands of a few unknown thieves. As much as Kylo did not want to lie to the family, he couldn't mention the Queen or Rey's involvement. No information about that night could escape Kylo's inner circle because it would bring up a whole slew of new questions about Rey and about Ventress's schemes- none of which he could prove to be true. Rey, on the other hand, was best left out of this for her safety. He couldn't explain how the girl Rey came to Rim without accusing the Queen of something most people believed to be impossible.
So, Poe went over the details again in his head, trying to keep it from being too vague, but preparing to offer enough information to not seem suspicious. He would say that Aiden was returning from the markets with some standard goods for the palace when he was robbed and killed.
Poe started to expand on the lie in his head in case they asked him more about it. Aiden was carting an assortment of fruits, vegetables, and a pair of large carpets. It was midday. Poe had seen him in the morning that day, singing as he cleaned...
That last part was the truth and Poe's heart clenched just thinking about it. Aiden's death was still hard to believe, that Aiden was gone; Poe had really liked having him around. His presence always brightened up the room and he was always cheerfully talking to whoever he could find.
Sometimes he would sing old songs from old folk tales of Rim with a smooth, birdlike voice. Prince Kylo would ask Aiden to sing for him while he read, and the boy would do so excitedly, shuffling about cleaning and crooning.
Poe hated having to lie, but he knew Aiden would want Rey protected. If they didn't keep Rey safe now, his death would have been in vain, so for now the lies were necessary. Poe focused on the impending conversation as he drew closer and closer to the Tico's household.
Later that day, Paige and Rose were waiting in the city leader's palace to greet the Prince and his party as they arrived. They had previously met him on several occasions because of their father's role as head of the armory district, which was also how Aiden had secured a position in the Prince's palace. The sisters had generally liked the Prince and his two primary attendants Poe and Finn, finding them to be polite and warm people. However, they didn't know them well enough to be sure of their true nature.
What they did know was that Poe's story about Aiden's death was a sham. They saw right through his lies, his explanations too vague to be considered believable. Moreover, he became flustered when they inquired about the body, but the sisters didn't press the topic, not wanting to ruin their future plans for revenge.
Poe had left Kylo's concubine out of the story completely and her absence further confirmed that Rey was responsible for Aiden's death. That only made them seethe more as they waited in the main hall of the palace, thirsting for Rey's suffering at their hands.
Soon after, the Prince walked in with his team of core attendants following behind him closely. Paige and Rose easily spotted the girl Rey and their blood boiled at the sight of their brother's killer. When it was their turn to present themselves to the party, they approached the throne the Prince sat on. Rey sat on a smaller seat beside Kylo and looked rather small and nervous.
In truth, she was nervous.
It had nothing to do with the ongoing battle or with her inevitable re-encounter with Savage. When it came to those things, Rey felt ready for anything, energized and driven by her need to avenge Aiden. Instead, throughout the journey she thought about Aiden's family. The poor boy had died saving Rey and she wondered how the Tico family would ever be able to forgive her for that, even if she managed to avenge Aiden.
She needed to make amends. She would find a way to tell them the truth after she ended Savage. It was the right thing to do, whether her safety was jeopardized or not.
The sisters had kneeled, bowing their heads and Kylo rose to his full height. He looked almost pained, his full lips were pressed in a hard line and his eyebrows knitted together. "It is good to see you both again, despite such grim circumstances. Rey, these are the Tico sisters." He gestured at the sisters before he turned his attention to Rey. "This is my concubine, Rey."
My princess, Rey, he thought, but he couldn't say that without drawing unnecessary attention to his growing affection for this girl. It would endanger Rey if too many people found out that she was a weak point for Kylo. He knew he shouldn't even feel this way towards her; she wasn't really his. She belonged to another world, yet he couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose her warmth now that he had felt it. He had to remember that and keep his feelings in check.
Rey smiled grimly at the sisters with a nod of the head, and wished they could be meeting under different circumstances. "We are very pleased to meet you, Lady Rey. We have been looking forward to your arrival." Paige smiled at her sister momentarily before continuing, "My name is Paige, the eldest of Rush Tico's children, and this is my sister, Rose."
"I'm very pleased to meet you as well," Rey said timidly, and then gave a tentative smile that didn't reach her eyes. She was still nervous and feeling guilty, and it was easily readable on her face; the Tico sisters saw the expression as an admission of guilt and there was no longer any doubt in their minds that Rey was responsible. She deserved to die.
"I am sorry about Aiden… He was so kind." Rose and Paige hated the way she said their brother's name but kept their expressions neutral.
Kylo continued, "I am sorry for your loss. Aiden was a gift to anyone who came across him. The Gods must have been envious and desired him for themselves. He is under their care now."
"Your highness, the overseer of Hays Minor has arrived," announced an attendant from the entrance of the hall. A tall man strode in, wearing a long red cloak and a headband similar to the one Kylo often wore. "Prince Kylo, I am sorry I was unable to maintain control of the city…"
The Prince cut him off quickly. "Enough of that," he snapped. "What is the state of the city?"
"The Nightbrothers have ransacked the North side of the city and occupied the area. They have invaded the majority of the Armory district, targeting the most valuable portion of the city. The Tico sisters may be able to offer more information."
"Very well. Paige, Rose, if you'll join me in the conference room. Rey, stay here with the council." He left the room without another word, followed by the sisters, the Hays Minor's overseer, Poe, and Finn, who gave Rey a reassuring smile before closing the door behind him.
Rey was alone with a roomful of strangers. She felt completely useless, being a burden to her then rescuers, now friends, since she had arrived in this strange world. She couldn't help with strategy or tactics, and though she had some experience in one on one combat from her mixed martial arts classes, she was definitely not ready for a full out war.
It didn't feel any better when Kylo and his team eventually came out of the conference room. He pulled her aside to tell her that she couldn't join him on the battlefield, that it was too dangerous. She knew he was right and though he sweetly told her with his hands on her waist, it only made her feeling of inadequacy grow stronger.
"... I'm worried about leaving you behind though, it would leave you vulnerable." He was clearly concerned about Rey and that made her feel a bit more reassured.
"I'm ready for the danger, Kylo. I promise-"
"Your highness," Paige interrupted. "If I may, the Lady Rey could remain with us. We would keep her safe while you are off battling the Nightbrothers." Rose nodded at her sister's side.
Kylo looked skeptically between the sisters and Rey. He knew Paige and Rose were capable fighters but he could not be sure that they would keep Rey safe. It still might be safer than being with me on the battlefield. His brow furrowed and he opened his mouth to speak when Rey interrupted.
"I can go with them, my Prince. That way you won't have to worry about me." She gave him her most believable smile but he didn't look completely convinced. "It would be nice to spend time with Aiden's sisters." At that, Kylo's eyes softened.
"Very well then," he said with a wary nod.
"Okay, then it's settled. Rey will be under our care tomorrow," Paige said with a wide grin.
Perfect.
