The news of Rey's death spread through Hays Minor like wildfire. Many citizens cried over her death, empathizing with their Dark Prince who had just started falling in love. Many more cried for the country's loss of Niima's avatar, her favor being especially desirable in this time of conflict.
It wasn't just Hays Minor that had been threatened recently. Inner conflicts between different regions of Rim were building rapidly. Moreover, there was escalating tension between Rim and Core, the other super power in the world. It was Rim's largest trade partner and biggest competitor for dominance over the planet.
Citizens had gathered outside of the Great Temple at Hays Minor. Kylo wanted to bury Rey in Jakku in the same temple as his mother, but tradition called that Rey be laid to rest for one day after her death before she may be moved. The public was not allowed inside the temple so they held a vigil outside with candles and singing, throughout the day and well after the sun had set.
Kylo sat despondently on the steps leading up to the altar, where Rey's body lay peacefully under a sheet of white sheer fabric, surrounded by white and golden flowers. With his heart in his throat, he found it hard to breathe but didn't care. He stared down at the violet carpet feeling immense guilt that he hadn't sent Rey back to her world when he had had the chance. Now she would never make it home.
Poe and Finn stood far off to the side observing their Prince. They hadn't seen Kylo this lost since Queen Leia had passed away. Typically he raged, throwing his emotions around physically to deal with his pain. There was a room in his palace designated specifically for such purposes that was constantly being remodeled and torn down by Kylo before ever being completed. It was something he kept well hidden but not without great effort.
Now, it seemed more like he had died when Rey had. They watched, terrified for Kylo, unsure of what to do, knowing that he contained a typhoon within him - one that spun and twisted with the fear, pain, fury, and guilt that he was unable to release.
Poe and Finn stood like that for a while until they were interrupted by the overseer who came in to announce the beginning of the Tico hearing.
Kylo stood up, took a long look at Rey's lifeless body, and stalked out of the room without a word. The men followed him, believing that they were leaving Rey alone in the temple.
After the silence in the temple had hung in the air long enough, a section of the wall behind the altar turned, revealing a hidden door. Jango and Savage Opress emerged into the dimly lit space, Jango carrying a torch. Savage laughed wickedly as he quickly scooped Rey into his arms and easily slung her over his shoulder. They quickly re-entered the secret tunnel, gently closing the door behind them.
Kylo presided over the meeting, observing from his throne. The Tico sisters were on their knees with their heads bowed and hands on the floor, as if they were in prayer. Finn stood over them ranting about how wrong they had been about Rey. He was getting overly emotional, Kylo could tell, though he was surprised to discover that Finn had so quickly gotten attached to Rey.
"That's enough, Finn. We all know Rey was innocent and we all know that these girls were deceived. By the description they have given us, it's likely that it was Jango who gave them the poison to kill Rey. We are unable to prove that the vial has ties to the Queen's henchman but- "
Kylo was interrupted as one of the city guard rushed in. "Pardon me, your highness, but Lady Rey's body has been removed from the Great Temple. No one was seen entering or leaving the building, yet she is nowhere to be found."
Some life flickered back into Kylo's eyes then, "What?" he roared at the attendant. He rose to his full height and leapt down off his throne with a thud. "Let's go. This is over." He started to hurry out of the room with Poe and Finn on his heels before he paused abruptly. "Bring the sisters."
Inside the Great Temple, Kylo ran his hand over the altar where Rey's body had rested just a short time earlier. "If no one was seen coming in or out, then she must have been taken through a secret door. The main temples in all of Rim's great cities have secret emergency escape tunnels since they are frequented by Royalty."
A priest who worked in this temple stepped up. "Your highness, this temple is championed by the goddess of serenity and freshwater. Therefore the High Priestess Asajj Ventress, Her Majesty, holds the schematics of this particular temple. She would know the layout so maybe she could help."
Yeah right, he thought bitterly. The queen must have orchestrated Rey's capture, but Rey's body wouldn't be of any use for her… unless Rey was still alive! Kylo felt the adrenaline course through his veins at the realization.
He had descended into internal darkness when Rey died, but this flicker of hope brightened his spirits, giving him the spark he needed to keep going.
"If I may, your highness," Paige interrupted, looking timidly between Kylo and the priest. "I have overheard from my father that a secret passage leading to the Great Temple is located behind his workplace."
"It makes sense to have an escape route lead to a place stocked with weapons," Finn said. "Knowing Princess Rey, she may have sought out Almec Tico already."
"That may be but-" Kylo turned to the sisters. "How does your father perceive Rey at this moment?"
Rose looked gravely at Kylo, an apology deep in her eyes. "He believes her responsible for Aiden's death. He knew what we planned to do here and gave us his blessing."
Fuck! Kylo knew there was no time to waste. "We must get to her. Rose, Paige, take me there now." They whole party hurried out of the palace and to the stables.
The effects of the poison the sisters had given Rey were wearing off, her heart began to beat, bringing color to her body once again. Life buzzed back into every cell of Rey's body slowly and she began to stir.
Rey came to, feeling a steady drip of water splashing on her ankle. She moaned slightly, her head throbbing in time with the dripping. She tried to lift her head but her whole body felt heavy, like a haze had settled atop her and she was unable to lift herself out of it.
How am I alive?
The ringing in her ears spurred by each fallen droplet of water cleared a little bit and she was able to make out two male voices bickering with one another.
"... let me."
"No, the Queen wants to handle this herself. It's a delicate ritual and you will not receive payment unless the girl is returned to the Queen in her current state." It was an unfamiliar voice.
Then she heard a growl. "Fine, but I want her afterwards, as promised." Savage!
"As promised. Now, hurry. The queen's white water must be entering its second phase and the girl's body will restart. We don't have much time."
Rey could tell that they were far enough away and decided it was her chance to make a getaway. She got on her knees and pushed herself up as quietly as possible. She used the wall to keep her balance as she made her way down the dark tunnel that surrounded her. Further along the way, she could see some light peaking through large cracks.
She quickened her pace, taking careful steps to the source of light before she saw the broken stones of the tunnel walls. With all her might, she started ramming her side into the wall, and with a few attempts the bricks had given way enough to create a small hole.
She pushed her slender frame through the opening, relieved to escape the damp, hungry darkness behind her.
She pulled her legs through completely and began to stand up, but froze when the sharp blade of an axe was held a centimeter away from her throat. She shifted her gaze upwards, unwilling to move her head in the slightest, to see a man who looked identical to Paige and Aiden looming over her with a long white beard that matched his straight gray hair.
"Rey of Jakku. Stand." She complied, carefully raising up on shaky legs, and watched the man with wide eyes.
"You are the head of the Tico family," Rey blurted out.
"Then you know why I am doing this."
Rey heard footsteps coming down the hallway she had just emerged from, and Savage's voice muttering things like 'skin' and 'young girl' getting nearer. She considered the man holding the axe seriously, seeing nothing but Aiden in his face. She saw the boy who had smiled at her brightly as he gave up his life.
Could she really even say that she hadn't killed him? She had defied the Prince and taken Aiden on a foolish, dangerous mission. Her heart tore again at the memory and from it spilled boiling blood that coursed through her, cauterizing any trace of the white water she had ingested.
She would avenge Aiden and make up for her mistakes. It wouldn't be enough if she succeeded, and she likely wouldn't survive, but she had to try. It's time I faced Savage. That was what Rey had stayed in Rim for after all.
"Yes, I understand," she uttered clearly, confidently. The heat rushing through her invigorated her being, fanning the flame that had always been there.
"You will face the man pursuing you, and if you are indeed Niima, then you will survive."
He grabbed her arm, pulled her along into the adjacent building, and pushed her through the door. She fell onto a hard stone floor in a room covered with weapons; swords, daggers, maces, staffs, spears, and bows littered the floor and lined the walls and shelves.
Aiden's father stood tall in the doorway. "Pick something quickly, and then you will face the Nightbrother. Niima will not go unarmed."
She rose to her full height and tried to hold her head high, something she did when she wanted to appear strong to others and to herself. She started browsing through the selection as Almec scrutinized her curiously. Although Rey did not know it, this decision was a test in itself .
She wished she could shoot a bow but that was a cowardly wish of hers, and it would be futile to try. She knew her best chance was to find a staff or perhaps another spear, so she started searching for one that would suit her height and be light enough for her to wield.
All the spears seemed too flimsy for a one on one fight with Savage. Rey feared that Savage would hack her spear in half like cutting through water, so she settled on looking for a staff instead.
There weren't as many staffs as there were the other kinds of weapons but she spotted a few. Many were ornate staffs, several with gems embedded up the shaft and ending with large gemstones shaped in swirls or triangles for bludgeoning an opponent. Rey didn't like any of those, figuring that the gems would create a weight imbalance that would throw her off.
They were all lovely but she was looking for something she could actually handle. Something more her style. That's when she spotted a smaller staff made of old… black glass? Its simplicity stood out in the sea of elegant arms. At first she believed it to be a fragile weapon but decided that that made little sense and picked it up.
Almec watched in fascination as Rey twirled the staff in her right hand, hardly believing she had gravitated toward that weapon.
It was shaped like a wooden staff with a design whittled into, the cuts leaving the glass's surface multifaceted like smooth scales up the shaft. They came together at the tip to a few jagged branch like edges that would slice or skewer.
She stomped the butt of the staff on the ground and knew immediately that this was no ordinary glass. It was so densely packed that she was sure it would not break, but somehow it managed to remain light.
Rey examined it, smiling softly. The staff reminded her of herself- simple yet strong.
She turned to Almec, "Alright. I'm ready." The disbelief wrought across his face took Rey by surprise, but she just chalked it up to her 'recklessness,' as Kylo had so kindly put it. She took a deep calming breath in, let it out, and walked outside where she could hear Savage still calling for her.
Almec was standing in front of his personal headquarters with his arms crossed over his broad chest when Kylo and his party arrived in a hurry.
Kylo hopped off his chariot before it had even stopped completely. "Almec!"
Almec quickly bent down on one knee, his hair falling forward over his brow. "Prince Kylo, Your Highness, it has been a long time." He stood and Kylo approached him quickly and grabbed him by the collar, more out of desperation than aggressiveness.
"Almec, have you seen a girl come by here?"
"If you mean your concubine, then yes, I have sent her to face Savage Opress."
Kylo pulled Almec closer to him, bringing them face to face. "What?!" Kylo's face was a stormy thundercloud, his eyes flashing lighting.
"I'm surprised, Your Highness. This girl seems to have really changed you. I've never seen you behave like this." Kylo released Almec, finally realizing how out of character it was for him to grab an old man and shake him as he just had. "But I wouldn't worry about the girl Rey. She chose that weapon." Almec exchanged a knowing glance with his daughters.
"No way! You mean she chose The Tico Staff?" Rose asked her father wide eyes, who nodded in response.
"What staff do you speak of?" Kylo asked, voice still tinged with anger and desperation.
After a moment of hesitation, Paige spoke, "It's a secret treasure the Ticos have been guarding for years. Its material and style of forgery creates an unrivaled weapon, one that could decide the dominant power of the planet," she supplied. "The Ticos are the only ones who possess the knowledge to forge such a weapon."
Suddenly, they heard Savage's voice booming out, calling for Rey to face him properly.
"Look! Up there!" Finn pointed up at a nearby wall of the city, all of which had stairs leading to the top where guards walked on patrol. They saw Rey being chased down by Savage. She ran like a gazelle with long, quick, graceful strides, trying to get enough space to turn around and face him properly. Kylo's heart leaped into his throat and he froze in place, shock taking over for a moment.
Rey knew that running was not a solution. She needed to stall and figure out a game plan- but that was until she hit a dead end on the overwatch walls. Rey turned around quickly, crouched into her defensive stance, and twirled her staff out of habit. The motion brought Rey some comfort, reminding her that this was just another one on one match, where her and her staff would win outdance their opponent if she stayed calm and kept her breathing even.
"You're a monster!" she shouted, ready to face off with Savage. He threw out the first swing with his massive longsword, a downward cut toward Rey that she easily side stepped. "You're gonna pay for what you did." He threw out another few cuts and slices, all with great strength and long range but was too slow to catch Rey.
As much as Rey had the advantage of being quick, she knew that Savage was strong and fit; he wasn't likely to tire anytime soon. If she was going to defeat him, she would have to hop on the offensive, and quick.
She dodged a few more before she took a moment to clear her head. She concentrated on her breathing and focused her mind, finding that calm place within where the rest of the world melted away and all she saw was her opponent. Rey listened as the sounds around her seemed to fade into the background, morphing into something else entirely. Savage's movements slowed down and Rey felt like there was nothing he could do that she wouldn't see.
She swung her staff at Savage, making an upward right cut, but he blocked the blow easily and thrust his sword against her staff causing Rey to stagger back.
She quickly regained her footing, her steps once again becoming lithe and quiet. I have to be swift and unpredictable or I've lost. I can do this. I can do this.
Kylo watched helplessly from down below, feeling his heart caving in, his chest squeezing. There was his Rey facing the head of the Nightbrothers alone and he was too far away to reach her in time. He wished he had a bow with him but even then, he knew that Savage and Rey were too close to each other and far away from Kylo for there to be a safe shot.
"Dammit!" He cursed and took off towards the nearest steps leading up to where Rey and Savage fought, his feet flew over the ground with long strides. He needed to get to her- the adrenaline pushed him farther faster as he climbed the steps three at a time, rushing up each story.
Rey stepped forward and started circling Savage with slow counterclockwise steps. She swung hard at Savage, bringing the sharp edges down on him, forcing him to shift his weight to dodge. In a flash, Rey pulled the staff back towards her center before jabbing it out quickly like a viper's strike. The staff was back at her side in an instant but the damage was done.
The sharp branches carved into the dark glass had made contact with the meaty flesh of Savage's shoulder. It immediately gushed with blood. He grunted at the pain but it was hardly even a flesh wound to someone as large as him.
Rey kept her breathing even and continued to circle him. He swung down at her with all his might and she dodged, slicing out with her staff. She hit his opposite side and pulled the staff back quickly so that the branches would cut, leaving more gashes in its wake. Savage hissed and then unleashed a flurry of swings that drove Rey back against the wall; she dodged them but was losing ground quickly.
She knew she would have no choice but to block his next attack with her staff and so did Savage. Rey attacked first, feinting right before quickly driving the staff left as hard as she could. Savage blocked her swing but not with as much force as he would have if he hadn't aimed to block the right first.
To her surprise, upon making contact, Rey's staff broke right through Savage's sword and struck him hard across the neck. That did the trick. Dark blood spluttered from Savage's mouth and he staggered backwards before charging clumsily at her again.
This time he grabbed at her with his own hands, ready to break her in half. She was still backed up against the wall so she ducked down quickly, rolling away with staff in hand. His hands grasped at Rey as he passed over her and flicked her hair. That was too close. The adrenaline burned through Rey, coursing hot in her blood, making her ears ring.
Savage's momentum had brought him atop the wall before he turned back to stare down at Rey with a sinister grin, perched like a bird of prey. He loomed over her menacingly and there was nowhere to run that he couldn't reach with one easy leap.
If this staff broke his sword then maybe, just maybe… For better or for worse, Rey always went with her gut.
She cranked the staff back before stabbing it directly into the stones supporting Savage. It broke right through to the other side of the wall, which crumbled beneath Savage who lost his balance. He was suspended in the air for a split second, ogling at Rey in shock, before falling backwards several stories and landing on his head with a sickening crunch.
A few onlookers gathered tentatively around Savage, looking down at his lifeless body- one woman nudged Savage with her foot to make sure he was dead, but there was little doubt he was. His head had split wide open and chunks of skull and brain lay several feet away from the rest of his body.
The woman shouted, "He's dead!" And the choruses of relief became a crescendo.
'He's dead!'
'Thank the gods- Savage Oppress is dead at last!'
'He killed my sister and her whole family. Finally!'
'HE'S DEAD!'
The voices melted into each other forming a cacophony of shouts and sobbs of relief. The sound washed over Rey and thundered through the streets, snapping her out the calm mentality she had adopted during the fight.
Furious tears welled in her eyes and spilled over, burning as they raced down her cheeks. She rested on her knees, panting and crying, overwhelmed from the physical exertion but more so from the swirl of emotions that flooded through her. Relief overcame her, both because she had survived and because she had kept her promise to avenge Aiden.
The sky had lightened considerably, turning into a mosaic of reds and greys. Citizens of all ages came out of their houses, holding candles, to view the spectacle gathering around Savage's body. So many of them had been personally affected by the terror left behind by Savage and his cruel henchmen.
They tossed stones at Savage's body, some poured the wax from their candles over him, and of course there were many who simply spat on his corpse.
The Tico sisters shoved through the crowd, eager to see Savage up close for themselves. Upon reaching him, Paige knelt over his body and spotted Aiden's choker wrapped around Savage's wrist. It was all true. A sob tore out of her chest and she ripped the choker off his body and clutched it to her heart, finally coming apart over Aiden's death.
Rose, who stood behind her, crouched down to wrap her arms around her sister. With her ragged uneven breaths, Paige buried her face in her sister's neck and bawled. Rose tenderly stroked Paige's back gently, all the while her eyes remained locked on Savage's mutilated head- her gaze sharp and cold as steel.
Rey heard the cheers and cries from high above, but her mind had gone elsewhere as she pulled herself off the floor. Aiden… Aiden… I hope this was enough. She climbed up to a safer part of the wall and stood, raising her staff high above her head. Aiden, I'm sending your soul to to the heavens! Her cheeks faced the sky, streaked and caked with tears.
The sun broke over the scene, enveloping Rey in light, highlighting her silhouette standing tall on the horizon for all to see. The citizens below looked up, surprised to see daybreak this early, and all eyes zeroed in on Rey.
She was a champion of light. The sun's beams had formed a halo around Rey, her tan and golden features glowing brightly.
And the citizens happy cries swelled into an ocean of sound.
'Lady Rey lives again!'
'Niima is with the people of Rim!'
'Princess Rey is Niima!'
'Rey Niima has saved us all!'
'She killed Savage!'
'Niima! Niima!'
'Long live Princess Rey!'
'We love you, Lady Rey!'
It was endless. The cries for Rey reverberated off the walls and soared up into the sky.
"Rey!" Kylo's deep voice cut through all the cheers, and it snapped her out of her prayer for Aiden. She turned around and there he was, frantic and gorgeous. Fresh tears broke as Rey finally allowed herself to show how scared she was.
"Oh, Kylo," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry, I-"
He had her in his arms within seconds, scooping her up into the air and pressing his head against her breasts. Rey immediately felt her nipples harden under his touch and an intense heat traveled down her body. His long hair tickled her collarbone and she had to start squirming to deal with the unfamiliar sensation. "Kylo! Hey, what're you-"
"Thank the Gods," he whispered, relief palpable in his voice. "Your heartbeat. It's real. And your warmth," he practically moaned. He pressed a quick kiss over her heart before putting his ear back over it and squeezed her tightly to him. "Rey…" His voice broke and he shivered. "I thought you were gone."
Rey had not expected this reaction. At all.
"Hey." She lifted his face to meet hers. He looked tired and like he had aged a few years overnight. "I'm okay. I'm sorry I scared you." His grimace of pain appeared sewn on his face and the pucker between his eyebrows permanent. She started there, planting small soft kisses along his brow, then trailed her lips down the side of his face, as he relaxed under her touch.
Her kisses reached the corner of his downturned lips, and her skin buzzed from the contact as the inexplicable energy between them coursed through her. She felt so alive.
Rey ran the tip of her tongue over his bottom lip, earning a soft gasp from Kylo. She jumped at the opportunity to slip her tongue into his mouth as she had learned from him, and as if Kylo's body had just caught up with what was happening, he started to kiss her back, hot and heavy. She responded breathlessly, eagerly.
Their better judgment was gone, burned away by the fire between them. The shouts from the crowd below had never stopped and somehow managed to amplify everything.
Rey shifted a little before accidentally bumping Kylo in the back with the staff still clutched tightly in her hand, bringing them back to reality. "Oh. Right." She switched hands and they examined the staff together, Rey still in Kylo's arms.
"What is this staff made of?" Kylo asked in wonder.
"What do you think it is, Lady Rey?" called Almec. He, his daughters, Poe, and Finn were all jogging up to Rey and Kylo, having made their way up to the top of the walls.
Rey kept turning the staff in her hand and looked out at all of Hays Minor. "Is this… volcanic glass? Obsidian?"
He looked dumbfounded and shook his head in disbelief. "How did you know?"
"Well, I've really just heard of it and based on all the volcanoes I thought…" The Tico family was looking at her strangely. "Why, is it some sort of secret?"
Almec's jaw dropped at her nonchalant tone. "Yes, very much so. You saw yourself how effective it was against any ordinary sword. The Ticos hold the secret to infusing weapons with volcanic glass to strengthen them. That staff there is pure volcanic glass." He knelt and his daughters quickly followed suit. "It was Niima, Goddess of War, that bestowed us with this gift. Thank you, Princess Rey."
Paige looked up at Rey, face completely blotchy and red, voice broken. "Please, sentence us to death. We were deceived but the offense of attempting to kill Niima is too much." She choked on her own words, completely overwrought. Rose nodded furiously, unable to even look at Rey's face, the tears dripping down her face and onto the floor.
Rey indicated that Kylo set her down and he did. "Woah, woah, sentencing you to death? No need. Right, Kylo?" She turned to him, settling a hand on her hip.
"The offense was on you, Niima." He smirked at her warmly. "I leave it to you to decide."
She beamed up at him and then crouched down in front of the sisters, resting her chin on her hands and her elbows on her knees. "How about you girls come work for me as punishment? I need handmaidens I can trust and people to train with. Oh-" Rey chuckled to herself. "And someone to teach me to be a proper lady by Rim's standards. Can you two do that?"
"But, serving a Prince's concubine is a high honor, not a punishment," Rose sputtered.
Rey frowned at that. "Well… maybe you don't know me well enough, but it's not gonna be easy trying to teach me to be a lady." She gave them a sheepish, embarrassed look as she huffed a strand of hair out of her face.
Rey's response took everyone by surprise. Poe and Finn burst out laughing, Almec chortled heartily, even Kylo chuckled, and just like that, Rey had diffused the tension. The girls smiled up at her gratefully and Rey felt as if she could forgive herself a little more because Aiden would have been pleased as well.
Once Almec had recovered from his laughter, he stood up. "To see The Tico Staff wielded by an avatar of Niima, and now my two daughters will serve her! You have blessed us, Princess. Please, accept this gift in return. The recipe for infusing obsidian was originally for my son to inherit, but it is yours now. After all, the Goddess of War is the Tico family's champion- we worship her above all."
"Do you mean to say that Rey has free rein to use the recipe as she pleases?" Kylo asked, awe painted on his face. If the Ticos spoke true, Rim could strengthen their military dramatically and solidify their position as the superpower of their world.
"Exactly. The fate of war rests in the hands of Princess Rey Niima."
Rey's bright hazel eyes widened, the golden flecks of her irises burning brighter than the green. She looked down at the staff, turning it over in her hands, feeling energy and heat buzzing through her from where her and the staff made contact. She couldn't explain why but it felt like it was meant for her.
"Can I keep the staff?" she asked Almec nervously. He again burst out in laughter, nodding heartily, and the others joined in. Kylo came up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist and nuzzled her hair, still chuckling.
"Kylo?" He loved the way Rey said his name, with her unusual accent dancing around the intonation in a way he had never heard before.
"Yes?"
Rey grinned widely up at him, the very grin he had come to adore, where her dimples showed and her eyes crinkled.
"Let's go home."
