AUTHOR'S NOTE:

DISCLAIM: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS

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Chapter 16: Jakku Flower

. . .

The servants came in dressed in uniformly blue and white suits, they walked hastily in a consistent, rehearsed fashion. They carried trays with metallic, strange-looking domes with embellished handles on their tops. They were held to their midsection upon the approach of a seated patron, and then lowered in unison around the table.

The lids were promptly after placement, a puff of steam rose out of the metal shell, filling the air with a pungent, succulent odor that filled each of Rey's senses. There was an unmistakable sizzling, something promptly came off a hot surface and onto her decorative plate. The steam lifted, and a beautiful assortment of various foods had been arranged on each plate.

A white piece of meat, caramelized with some root vegetables buried underneath of it, a few crustaceous-like creatures steamed, pink, and skewered above it. A bed of vivid greens rested on its side, accompanied by the plate. There were some pale, stringy looking things to next to her little creatures, Rey thought they looked like worms.

The crowd pleasantly sighed from their gracious offerings, and in a haste, the clinking and cutting over silverware began as the party began to dine.

Rey would not have missed this opportunity for such a gourmet meal on Jakku, the smell alone would have compelled her to lunge across the table like a wild beast. But as she looked to her companion before her, she remembered he would not be so eager to divulge.

Her companion sat silently, but politely. His hands were hidden under the folds of the tablecloth, but they appeared to rest on his legs. In this tranquil state, watching each member of the party divulge in their opulent meals, Rey thought he couldn't have looked more out of place.

He was a living statue, a decorative piece in this dining hall obligated to watch each guest nourish themselves on this banquet.

Rey remembered the fasting days on Jakku, the days coming back to the outpost were unbearable. While the others returned with their rucksacks full of scraps and left with portions to satisfy their stomachs, Rey slept with stomach cramps and the emptiness of desperation.

It was easier for those men to walk away with what they had and be satisfied until their next contribution, but Rey wouldn't have wished that feeling upon anyone, much less anyone she despised. She knew they sometimes deserved worse...

She placed her hands upon her lap, removing her eyes from the glorious dish before her, and stared as politely as her companion beside her.

Kylo Ren noticed this almost instantly, vaguely recalling the starved, barbaric Jakku girl devouring a plate half as precious as this. Unsure of what to make of this, Kylo Ren adjusted another knob upon his helm and leaned to her side, "What are you doing?"

Rey answered sharply, noting the rest of the characters on display continuing to eat, "Well this isn't very fair, is it?" She spoke quietly, hoping her neighbors would not overhear, "Why should they get to eat and not you?"

"It's my choice, you need to eat."

"Then why do they purposefully invite you to a dinner?"

He waited a moment to answer, allowing the crowd to raise their voices and continue in conversation before lowering the knob on his helm lower, "This isn't the place to discuss that, you need your strength."

"I'm fine," She answered confidently, "I don't like the look of these little pink things anyway, they look like they're about to crawl off my plate."

The atmosphere around him changed when he leaned away from her again, the intensity lessoned, and Rey thought he was stifling a laugh. She smiled at the idea of what he'd sound like laughing through his grim voicebox.

She kept her hands firmly locked in place as her companion did beside her, restraining them from the food before her, which was not as difficult as it seemed. She caught a side eyed stare beside her, coming from a pair of rounded blue eyes. She ignored this glance, taking hold of her regal composure and flaunting it before him.

It was a feeling of nobility, to be sitting beside such a political figure, under his protection, dining with admirals and generals alike on important business matters. There was no room for a Jakku scavenger in this room, only dignified, well mannered aristocrats of status.

Surely this puts me in a higher position than just some scrapper mechanic...

If only you could see me now...

Another glance caught the corner of her eye, black eyes staring into her profile. Accompanied by an underhanded smile, it was heavier and unrelenting. Rey resisted the urge to return the gaze at first, but politely submitted.

The returning opponent had seen battles, easily slain innocents, and the lingering sneer across the side of his cheek suggested he spend his leisure-time feeding his other unbecoming vices. His mouth widened, allowing a plentiful slab of assorted foods upon his fork to be chewed vigorously by his crooked teeth. He chomped vigorously, his gaze intensifying as the pink, bleeding meat splattered out of his thick lips and returning to the plate and tablecloth before him. The food on his plate was the least of his interests.

She did not realize her face had been struck with repulsion, even the monsters on Jakku were not as ill mannered or threatening as this man. As his aggressive chewing became more obvious, Rey had seen enough. Retracting her composure, Rey respectfully, reluctantly, returned a half satisfied expression and nodded her head.

As she returned to her considerate stance, Rey noticed her companion rebuking that cold, solemn stare to her carnivorous opponent.

The dinner service concluded shortly after the emptying of nearly every plate. The lights began to dim, and the gentlemen and ladies of the hall ruffled their jackets and dresses, preparing for the standing conclusion of the evening.

Each member began to stand in unison, folding their hands quietly before them and looking before the guests of honor as they fumbled from their chairs in a murmured conversation, finding their feet and clutching their pints readily.

Rey received a gentle tap of black fingers from her already standing companion, signaling a means to stand. She did, smoothing the thin fabric of her dress to avoid any sheer mishaps.

The red haired general of the First Order appeared to stand proudly before his party, hoisting a pleased grin to them all as he began the termination of the evening, "We conclude this evening with thanks to our surrounding officers, our guests, and of course... Our honorary invitees."

There was a silence after this statement, it was as if Hux had waited for some form of appraisal or feedback, but there was none. He'd cleared his throat before continuing quickly, "Your sacrifices to make this meeting possible will not go in vain."

Rey glanced past her associate's wide frame, taking in the full view of Hux's now gloved hand being clasped belligerently by his new compatriot's paw. "Always a treat." The chair behind him vibrated against the marble floor, screeching across the room and preying upon allowing ears. They advanced together as a dark spectre; a black and brown leather clad of mixed expressions and unquestionable odors.

Their direction was unmistakable, the eyes and intentions became manifested into something Rey had only seen a handful of times on Jakku. Only this time, there were no staffs or electrical currents to her disposal. Their approach brought them nearer, Rey instinctively clutched to her only weapon readily available.

An overcast came before her, a blackened silhouette of a man stepped in her place, shielding and placing himself in the deliberate line of fire.

Their smiles vanished.

"The pleasure is ours," The shadowed champion announced, outstretching a hand and regaining distance between himself and his companion, "May your efforts be prosperous."

His adversary smiled again, a cunning grin pinched his cheeks as he hesitated before returning the shake, "'Til next time, Commander." His sneering expression shifted with the motion of his peeking eyes, a silent, forceful move that actively made her return his intrusive scare. His grin opened, preparing to speak in his secret tongue, "These men speak of pleasure, yet they've never felt the pure, euphoric delight of speaking in tongues with such a beautiful woman as yourself..." Tkotas Tar ripped his own hand from Kylo Ren's grasp, actively swinging his arm in desperation before him and clearing his visual path before Rey, "We'll meet again, my Jakku Flower..."

He waited, taking a moment to recall any impressionable feedback, but there was none. Rey felt her feet planted to the floor, a wedge between them had protected her and even if there was none, she refused to be afraid.

He's only a man...

A sick... Sick man...

The stare was broken, and the cloud promptly lifted upon its release. The room cleared of any foul senses and once again, it was nothing more than a posh, luxurious dining hall in Canto Bight.

Rey watched carefully, making sure each and every deplorable scum had left the premise. Her breath slowly returned, and the party before them started to scarce themselves.

"Let's go." Kylo Ren promptly said, taking hold of the hand that held his own and leading Rey down the hall.

Please tell me your thoughts and review as honestly as possible. No Star Wars FanFiction is perfect, unless it's written, sealed, signed, and kissed by George Lucas himself, but I hope this makes at least 1 person happy.

Thanks for reading! Come back for 'Chapter 17: To Protect You'