Chapter 3: Heat and Shadows

Heat and shadows. He was leaning down over her body. She didn't know who he was. Colours flashed and she felt a wave of deep intense arousal. Faces flickered in front of her and a white building beside a tree. She was there and he was touching her, had been touching her for so long. Her curly hair flowed out around her and his stubble grazed her bare stomach and then her hip. Touch me. Fingers laced with hers and she was so wet. Red, blues, greens. His eyes were green, and his body was long and very pale against hers. His legs slid over hers as he moved in between them. He was whispering something to her but she couldn't hear it. His hands reached out and touched her breasts gently cupping their underside. His whole weight was pressing her down into his bed and Avin could smell sandalwood and the musky smell of sex. She could hear gasping breaths and little moans in her ear. They were in his room and he leaned in to press himself inside her wetness and –

She woke up, dark skin drenched in sweat, her body tangled in the silk sheets of her bedroom. For a moment she was disoriented and then remembered she was staying at her parents' house before they flew to Phelarion. Her com was buzzing; the noise must have driven her from her sleep. Still flustered she threw a robe over her body and checked the viewer screen:

Incoming call from Officer Armitage Hux

She checked her robe was secure, attempted to pat down her messed-up curly hair and accepted the call, the dream already fading from her memory. His slightly gaunt face loomed in on the viewing screen and Avin saw him visibly relax when he saw her. He had undergone a smartening up recently, mostly evident by his slicked back hair and black clothing. The uniform suited him but Avin still remembered him in his favourite blue-grey tunic.

"It is 0900 hours in your time zone on Naboo and you are still not ready for the day."

"Yes, yes Arm but it is a day of rest."

"Your time could be spent more efficiently."

"I know. I could be sleeping right at this moment."

"You could get an exercise routine in the morning."

"Is that a comment about my weight Officer Hux?" she deadpanned waiting for his embarrassed reaction.

"I have read your paper on morality systems in the Republic era." He said, deflecting expertly and clasped his hands together. She spun in her chair and faced him again, knowing it annoyed him to no end.

"Great. What did you think?"

"Concise, structurally sound and comprehensive. You were undoubtedly biased in favour of the categorical imperative and neglected the strong position of utilitarianism. When you have amended it to fit within First Order regulations I will add it to our database."

"Here we go again."

"You would be a great asset to the First Order. I don't understand why you reject my offers of a post."

She smiled. "I think I'll take a rain check for another year, Arm. I've just started university after all. So, are you coming on holidays this year?"

"Holidays are mandatory for a good military force," he paused and looked at her out of the corner of his eye, "I would like to go swimming again."

Something had changed unwittingly a few months ago and she felt so stupid for not noticing it sooner. Looking back on their interactions and Avin's easy manner in his bedroom she cringed on such a deep level. So embarrassing. That photo of her cleavage he had obviously kept for… she tried not to imagine. Then she would imagine and feel deeply embarrassed as if she was betraying her friend for imagining him touching himself. She tried very hard not to think of the time she showed him her new pyjama set or detailed her first kiss at school. Absolute mortification. It was only when he called her late one evening and she had answered in her underwear, which was a typical thing for her friends to do, that she had realised they were definitely not friends in the strictest sense. His face had dropped and gone an impossible shade of red while Avin jumped up to put a robe on. When she came back he had ended the call with a polite excuse in her message inbox. She still remembered with complete clarity that deep hot tingling feeling which spread out from her groin as she realised what had happened. It came to her suddenly, that they were both adults and she would have to be much more conscious of her actions. But maybe she would enjoy teasing him with her bathing suit for just one more year. It would be good to get away for a while from all the politics of Naboo.

Things had become difficult for Avin recently. Her mother kept mostly to bed, and she rarely saw her. Her father had become more and more absorbed in the commercial trade deals in the effort to raise ships and equipment for the First Order, right under the nose of the New Republic. Currently the order rivalled in quantity the amount made for the battle of Endor and it was huge pressure on her father to make sure everything ran smoothly. When she was young the talk of the First Order had appeared as a low buzzing noise around her, it was just there. It was never anything real, just a concept, an ideal worked out in conference rooms and trade deals. Now Avin could see its impact as she walked with Korellia around the thronging city streets of the capital of Naboo. Posters had begun to appear in the seedier parts of town where the girls danced and people gambled in the cerrabore pits. As the rising tide of the First Order swelled around her Avin clung to her neutral second name as much as possible using it as a mantra when political discussions at her college became barbed and nasty: Shuah. I am a Shuah. I am Mayfant Shuah's daughter. My mother's name is Caoihin Shuah. Her friends were freedom loving academics, artists and musicians; the First Order's ideas did not appeal to them. Slowly, she had seen a lot of them turn away from her because of her name and her associations. They didn't understand how the First Order was bringing civilisation to the Galaxy. The means to the ends were correct if it meant living in a safe world, a world where everyone was promised work and would be respected under the law. Then there were horrible moments when she would think that the First Order was wrong, and it would cut into her like a knife leaving her terrified and confused.

Her family's planned trip to Phelarion was supposed to go ahead today. This year her parents had stopped arguing and just didn't speak to each other. She wasn't sure what the point of going anymore was but they were expected by the other imperial families and so they would go. The well-equipped transport ship with a first-class weapons system had been exchanged for a much more pleasant vessel. Their lounge on board was lush, filled with the vibrant blues and purples Avin always linked to Naboo. A low hum was the only clue that they were moving at incredibly fast speeds. She ordered a spiced tea while her parents sat on different recliners reading material on their devices. Her mother sat in a long deep purple robe with her dark hair piled on top of her head while her father lounged in his linen suit already in holiday mode. His white linen suit showed off his dark skin well and he looked healthy and energetic although she knew he had been under tremendous stress. The comfortable silence of previous trips had been replaced by a terrible awkwardness, an ongoing fight between her parents they refused to tell her about.

"There will be 5 tying ceremonies this summer at the resort, Avin, I hope you have brought enough clothes for them." Her father abruptly said as if unloading some painful information. "She has enough dresses for a queen." snapped her mother. Mayfant was a temperate man and he ignored the biting retort. "What's a tying ceremony, father?" Her parents looked at each other and an unspoken agreement flashed between them. Surprisingly, it was her mother who answered, as she spoke she gathered the soft robes into her lap in a nervous gesture Avin had never seen before.

"A tying ceremony is traditional between the great houses to keep blood ties strong without creating possible… mismatches. It is a legal contract between two parties. Families come to an agreement and match their sons and daughters together to-"

"An arranged marriage!" Avin guffawed, reclining back in her chair with her tea warming her hands, "You can't possibly be serious."

There was a long, horrible silence which her father tried to broach. "It is new protocol Avin. The Order is renewing the old traditions from the Empire and this means returning to different ideals. This is for all young members of the cause, including you."

Her parents looked at each other again and the grim set of her mother's face sparked a horrible conclusion in Avin's mind. "What? Is this what you've been fighting about? Seriously? I've just started university; I don't want to be married."

Her father's face flushed. "I know it is not what you wanted-"

"You two didn't meet by this stupid tying ceremony?" she interrupted, suddenly feeling frightened. "Of course not," her mother deadpanned "it is an archaic malignant system that-"

"Enough Caoihin!" her father shouted. "Enough yourself Mayfant!" her mother countered, "the child thinks it is moronic as well. I don't give a toss about the old Houses sycophantic agreement with the First Order. They are not marrying my daughter to some sociopathic officer pig-"

"Silence Caoihin! You know they monitor us, watch your tongue!" Her father was bug-eyed with fear and he ducked to look into the small alcoves of the shuttle in a manner which was completely unlike him. Almost as if he was mad or very, very afraid. The pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place and an even deeper nauseous fear swept through Avin.

"This is definitely what you have been arguing about this year."

"Yes."

"How long have you known?"

There was a long deep pause.

"A while."

"The First Order told you I had to be married? This makes no sense."

"Not the First – it is hard to explain. The Houses support the First Order. We support the First Order. We must do what we are told."

"Have you picked out someone for me?"

"Yes."

"No. Absolutely not." Her mother countered with, the turn of her white neck speaking her disdain.

"Which is it?" Avin pushed, wanting to know how much her parents planned to change her life without asking for permission. They shared another glance and Avin could see the pain it was causing both of them.

"We are not allowed to tell you until it is formally announced." Her father admitted, his eyes sweeping the floor in shame. Avin sat there and allowed this to sink in. They had absolutely no control in this arrangement. At the corners of her mind, she could see the real problem. Her parent's political and social position, maybe even their safety, depended upon this.

"Ok," She said nodding, her mother looked even angrier but before she could open her mouth again Avin cut her off, " I don't accept this situation at all mother, but I know right now sitting on board this ship I can't change it. That is what Xingotl says, accept what you cannot change until the time is right?"

"Not that awful Xingotl again" she heard them both murmur and they looked at each other and smiled for the first time in months. The tension between them had leaked away and they seemed relieved to finally be able to speak about it. Avin knew what she had to do. She knew only one person with enough pull who could help her. She had to speak to Officer Armitage Hux.