Having dropped my crystal down the neck of my robe, I closed the door to the receiving rooms behind me. At the lock's click, Healer Lentis looked up from where she sat. She faced a man across the hearth of the large sandstone fireplace. He stood, leaning on the mantle and gazing into the flames flickering faintly on the hearth. He did not look up.
Lentis beckoned me silently with a slight incline of her head. As I tread toward them, I could feel something - a weight gathering in my mind. I tensed, but forced blankness on my face as Healer Lentis said, "Grev, thank you for coming. The Captain has asked to speak with you. I trust you do not mind." Her gaze pierced me, and I could tell she was attempting to divide my mind, but it had never worked before, and wouldn't now.
Silence followed. The Captain (I assumed) continued to study the glowing coals as if whatever he had come for could be revealed there. When he made no movement, Lentis slowly rose and, glancing at me one final time, remarked, "I shall leave you. Please let me know if," - and she faltered, clearly trying to ascertain if the stranger heard her, but when no sign came, continued, "-if you should require anything." With a curt nod, she left, the keys on her belt clanging. I gazed a moment after her before turning back to the man before me, as I heard her draw the door shut and slide the lock into place.
Despite the misgiving tingling in my very fingertips, I was determined he would speak first. When he still stared, silent, into the fire, I made a small sigh in my throat and sat. I didn't feel terror, but rather dread. I felt a sudden, ridiculous urge to push him away, but mastered myself, waiting.
Abruptly, he turned and fixed his eyes on me - or, should I say, his eye, covered as his left socket was with a black patch. The other was a pale gray, and I noted that, in addition to the severe lines of his razor-thin figure, he also wore black. On his hat, thrown up on the mantle, gleamed the insignia of the First Order.
"You are Esa Grev." It was a statement, and I nodded.
His eye swept me from my black collar to where the tips of my animal skin boots peeked from beneath the hem of my robe. I remained still, as a fawn might, when wondering if the wolf is nearby.
"We've been looking for you," he said, as he sat in one lithe movement. Dimly, in the back of my mind, I felt a warning not to take my eyes off this man.
"And you are?" I kept my voice level, though every cell in me screamed to flee.
Appraising me a moment, he finally said, "Captain Scen. I am in the employ of the Supreme Leader. I've been sent to ask that you accompany me to the Alterra System."
I let this obvious lie hover between us for a moment, studying him. Healers had limited telepathic abilities, and I didn't want to waste energy when he would clearly sense me trying. He wasn't telling the truth, but he was an adept liar; he didn't fidget, or look away, and as I reflected, I had the opportunity to observe the one long scar that ran the length of his face and disappeared down his collar.
"The Supreme Leader is dead," I finally said.
This did surprise him; I could see his eyes widen ever so slightly around the corners at my words and tone. "And how do you know that?" he said softly.
"His death? I felt it, of course," I said, smoothing my skirt and glancing down at my hands. This was true. Though it had been months ago, both Lentis and I had felt a definite shift. In fact, two shifts almost in succession. This far out, the First Order had little influence, being as they were a largely unstable military junta. Humans were (mostly) not welcome on Devaron, and Lentis and I were only tolerated because of our healing powers and because we took an interest in the Eedit ruins. Any guilt I felt over remaining in this quiet corner of space while the First Order terrorized others was always quickly subsumed by my many healing duties. But there was always an undercurrent of knowing, and Lentis and I felt the current surge and ripple in a way that signaled something major. I hadn't known why or where, but the infusion of light we both felt told me that Snoke had been defeated. I had spat on the ground of the infirmary then and there, once we agreed this was the cause. I almost did again, now.
Scen nodded, but something had changed in the room. Did this Supreme Leader not tell him who I was? Now I wondered if I had revealed too much. Did he understand what powers the Force lent to Healers? Many confused us with the Jedi Knights, but our powers were more subtle, less fire and more kindling. I captured a laugh that almost escaped my lips as I wondered if he could possibly think I possessed a lightsaber; a common misconception, but a pervasive one. Healers had no need of them. I kept my tone even as I continued, "But I assume a new Leader has appointed himself. And if so, I wonder what he wants with me." I cocked my head. "And why he would send a mere captain on any errand of any importance." I flicked my gaze upward to meet his.
"Why, I thought that would be obvious," he said, his low voice almost a purr. "We had need of your healing talents." He made no move to acknowledge my barb.
I barely kept myself from laughing. "I think we both know I will not be providing you with them," I said, and rose to go, giving in to the desire to escape. "Surely the Supreme Leader is wise enough to know that."
"But you will," Scen said, and the steel in his voice made me pause.
"And why is that?"
"You see," he stood too, now, smoothing his impeccable breeches, "I came prepared. The Supreme Leader expects to be obeyed."
I said nothing, frozen. My mind flicked back and forth, wondering what the price would be.
He stepped toward me, and the dying embers cast a flame into his good eye. The pupil blazed as it held my gaze. "The Supreme Leader's Dreadnaught has the coordinates of this…" he trailed off, his voice dripping with contempt, "insignificant planet." He finished, clasping gloved hands behind his back. My stomach tightened.
"Devaron has largely escaped our notice, and so to eliminate it completely would be no hardship on the First Order," he drawled lethally.
It only took me half a moment to decide to go with him, to sort out the consequences later, but in that half a moment I heard all the cries - of Devaronians, of the nurses, of the patients slowly healing in our infirmary wings, of Healer Lentis as her very flesh might burn up in incineration - balloon up through my gut and ring in my ears. But I couldn't let him know that yet. I cast my gaze down, watching the fire. My shoulder, still tender from when I woke, throbbed with that old pain. Sometimes stress triggered it, but I ignored it.
"It's a common First Order tactic to threaten and posture with annihilation," I said, taking a step closer to him. "But if you did destroy us, it would bring unnecessary conflict with our allies to your doorstep. I can't think your Supreme Leader is stupid enough to waste resources on that. Especially if you are seeking a Healer."
I could see that my chess move pleased him. He smiled. "Astute. I can see you have every inch of the iron backbone I've been told about. But I won't resort to physical violence against you," he said, as he saw me go rigid. "No, you will be coming with me. And it will have nothing to do with the safety of the planet."
"Oh, really?" I snapped, losing patience. "And why is that?"
"Because Supreme Leader Ren bids you come, and he will be obeyed." He watched me closely as the words landed. Each one felt like a stone against my rib cage. I said nothing.
"Or perhaps you remember him as Ben Solo," he said, and my shoulder pulsed with a sudden flame of pain. My mind worked crazily to find balance, but I no longer could breathe. No, it couldn't be. The low warning I felt gave way to outright panic. There could be no possible way, the danger would be too great. Every instinct in me screamed to run, but the name - his very name - tugged low in my belly, and I felt the same perverse pull toward it that makes a terrified child peer under their bed. The need to see.
"Well then," I demurred, willing calm into my face. "When do we leave?"